New Jersey AG investigates group accused of trying to harvest organs from patient showing signs of life



The New Jersey attorney general's office confirmed to Blaze News that it has launched an investigation into the NJ Sharing Network, an organ procurement organization, after nearly a dozen whistleblowers accused the group of numerous offenses, including allegedly covering up an attempted organ recovery from a patient who showed signs of life.

The NJ Sharing Network, a tax-exempt organization, was also accused of fraudulently billing Medicare, skipping hundreds of patients on the wait list, harvesting organs without appropriate consent, operating a fraudulent taxpayer-funded research program, and creating a culture of fear and retaliation.

'The only way patients will be protected is when law enforcement gets involved and prosecutes criminal activity.'

The House Committee on Ways and Means held an Oversight Subcommittee hearing on Tuesday with some whistleblowers who have reported concerning patterns among the nation's OPOs.

"I think a lot of the problem is that we are not providing the family with updates on actual neurological function and just those kinds of problems where we're using medications to chemically sedate and paralyze patients," Nyckoletta Martin, a former OPO employee, told lawmakers on Tuesday. "We're never really giving patients a chance."

Jennifer Erickson, a senior fellow for organ donation policy with the Federation of American Scientists, described the "chilling" accusations against the NJ Sharing Network as "not only extreme abuse of public trust, but also potential violations of law."

"A patient who'd been declared deceased reanimated, and according to information obtained by this committee, the CEO told staff on site they should proceed with recovery," she continued. "Several whistleblowers alleged documentation regarding the case was deleted or otherwise manipulated."

Erickson urged the committee to continue its investigation into the NJ Sharing Network and contended that the organization should be decertified.

RELATED: Organ group wanted to harvest from patient showing signs of life — then tried to cover it up, whistleblowers claim

Leon Neal/AFP via Getty Images

On November 19, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) sent a letter to the NJ Sharing Network, demanding documents and over 30 transcribed interviews with staff to investigate whistleblowers' claims further.

The committee copied the New Jersey attorney general on that letter.

When reached for comment, the AG's office confirmed to Blaze News that it was looking into the allegations.

"Our office is aware of the allegations of potential misconduct involving New Jersey Organ and Tissue Sharing Network discussed in correspondence from the U.S. House of Representatives," a spokesperson stated. "We are investigating these allegations and are committed to ensuring that the organ donation system functions appropriately and for the purpose for which it was intended. We ask anyone with information to contact the Division of Criminal Justice at 609-376-2330."

RELATED: ‘Donor may still be alive’: How organ donation groups allegedly exploit grieving families to cash in on billions

New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Greg Segal, the founder and CEO of Organize, reacted to the AG's office announcement.

"After 15 years of organ donation advocacy, I have come to believe that the only way patients will be protected is when law enforcement gets involved and prosecutes criminal activity," Segal told Blaze News. "I am deeply grateful for the New Jersey attorney general. It is time to take out the trash."

The NJ Sharing Network did not respond to a request for comment.

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Colorado's UCHealth hospital system made headlines this month when it declared that it would use COVID-19 vaccination status to determine who gets to receive life-saving organ transplant surgeries. Fallout over the announcement got nationwide attention and garnered negative press for UCHealth.

The Cleveland Clinic did the same, and public pushback was significant.

Now, Texas is using these hospitals' vaccine primacy to woo victims of hospital vax policies to head south and get their care in the Lone Star State.

What's happening?

In early October, reports circulated that UCHealth had denied a kidney transplant to a woman because she had not received the COVID-19 vaccine.

"In almost all situations, transplant recipients and living donors at UCHealth are now required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in addition to meeting other health requirements and receiving additional vaccinations," UCHealth said.

And the Cleveland Clinic denied a life-saving kidney transplant to a fully vaccinated patient after months of pre-operation procedures and preparation — all because the kidney donor was not vaccinated.

So now Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and other Texas officials are imploring patients to make the trek to Texas and get their life-saving care.

"Here in Texas, vaccines remain voluntary and never forced," Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's office said in a statement to Fox News. "Anyone being denied critical, life-saving organ transplants is welcome here in Texas, where one's rights and freedoms are always protected."

Texas state Rep. Briscoe Cain (R) told the outlet that he was happy his state's hospitals have "chosen to put patients before politics" and noted that "too many in the medical profession have forgotten their oaths."

And it's not just elected officials finding ways to help patients. The Texas-based Niklas Organ Donor Awareness Foundation is offering help to patients who have been denied organ transplants in other states over vaccine status by finding them housing while they await surgery.

The foundation's president, Rodney DeBaun, told Fox News that he is fully vaccinated and does not oppose the jabs but added that he thinks they should be a personal choice and not a governmental diktat.

He also said he's unconvinced by UCHealth's claim that unvaxxed patients are somehow at a higher risk of mortality if they get COVID after the surgery.

"If someone's waiting for an organ transplant, if they don't get a transplant, they're going to die," DeBaun told Fox News.

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