In the email sent August 18, 2023, to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the Ottawa County Department of Public Health writes:

“It is our understanding that if our county would suddenly lack a Title X service, another Title X provider could establish a service here. Is that correct? If so, what other provider might step in to fill the gap? We are wondering about Planned Parenthood. Do you know who we would contact there to enquire about this? We are thinking it might serve as a valuable point of rebuttal if the worst-case scenario should come to pass.”

This email is interesting for two reasons. First, as of August 18, 2023, the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners hadn’t even proposed a budget cut to the Health Department, and yet the Health Department already was trying to solicit Planned Parenthood to come to Ottawa County.

Second, the Health Department specifically asks for Planned Parenthood and not just a Title X provider, stating toward the end of the email: “We are thinking it might serve as a valuable point of rebuttal.” The Health officers knew claiming Planned Parenthood would need to move into the county if their budget were cut, would be a media narrative that could potentially damage the pro-life reputation of the conservative Ottawa County commissioners.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) responded to the August 18, 2023 email on August 23, 2023.

“Yes, we strive for statewide coverage, although that is community dependent. Typically, if a Title X provider is unable to continue with our program, we work to identify other providers” and ending the email with “Below is contact information for key Planned Parenthood staff. I will send an introductory email to initiate the conversation and copy all staff listed on this email.”

MDHHS virtually introduced the Health Department to Planned Parenthood in another email on August 23, 2023.

“This email is to virtually introduce colleagues, Debbie Price (Acting Clinical Services Manager), Adeline Hambley (Health Officer), and Marcia Mansaray (Deputy Health Officer) from the Ottawa Department of Public Health who would like to discuss potential options for Title X service delivery within Ottawa County in the event the health department can no longer fulfill this role.”

These emails lay dormant until September 8, 2023, when Commissioner Jacob Bonnema fell for the Health Department narrative.

Bonnema has not hidden the fact that he has great disdain for the Ottawa Impact endorsed commissioners. That can be seen slathered all over his commissioner Facebook page and local media.

That disdain led him to an unlikely ally in the Ottawa County Public Health Department and to believing Director Adeline Hambley when she told him that MDHHS had reached out to Planned Parenthood to solicit them to come to Ottawa County. Did Hambley neglect to tell Bonnema that the Health Department had asked MDHHS to reach out to Planned Parenthood?

On September 8, 2023, Bonnema stated in an email to his fellow commissioners:

“Based on emails I have received from our county health department director, it appears MDHHS, in anticipation of our budgetary cuts, has already reached out to Planned Parenthood to solicit them to open shop in Ottawa County for the purposes of providing Title X family planning services.”

Bonnema claims to be pro-life and was endorsed by Right to Life in 2022. So, one can see that Planned Parenthood, the nation’s number one abortion provider, would be a concern of his.

Commissioner Bonnema was not the only one who ran with the idea that MDHHS reached out to the Health Department.

On September 15, 2023, FOX 17 published an article stating: “The State of Michigan has introduced Ottawa County public health officials to Planned Parenthood of Michigan, according to emails shared with FOX 17. The two-email exchange shows plans to discuss potential options for Title X funding if the health department cannot fulfill requirements.”

Not only does FOX 17 omit the very first email in the chain by stating it was only a “two-email exchange,” but the article also states that: “The email exchange happened prior to Hambley’s public warning of what could happen to Title X funding.”

The email exchange was before Hambley’s public warning, and it was also before any proposed budget cut.

This narrative was playing out in the middle of a budget process. During a budget process numbers change frequently and sometimes quickly. The Health Department, local activist media, and Commissioner Bonnema were creating chaos with numbers that were not final or voted on.

On September 25, 2023, Commissioner Bonnema took the narrative up a notch. He posted the following on his Facebook page:

“… all six RTL (Right to Life) endorsed OI (Ottawa Impact) commissioners completely ignored my email warning about funding Planned Parenthood. I needed help. I called in support from Holland Right to Life and Right to Life of Michigan… Can you believe that the actions of Ottawa Impact almost allowed Planned Parenthood to open an office in OC?!”

Bonnema states in a Facebook post on October 25, 2023:

“She [Hambley] desires for her office to be “apolitical,” to be fair to all sides, not to be seen as activist, and solely a source of factual public health information and services.”

Bonnema states in a Facebook post on April 26, 2024:

“… [O]ur health department does award winning work for women’s health. Planned Parenthood is a well-known activist organization. I do not believe our health department should be activist in any way.”

One would wonder, if Bonnema knew that the Health Department he continues to stand for specifically asked for Planned Parenthood—a well-known activist organization and the number one provider of abortions—would he still trust them?

One also would wonder, is there more to this story?

“Health and State,” documentary by Aidan Bunkosky, 2024.

Deputy Health Administrator Marcia Mansaray’s “Marcia for Michigan” Facebook post, May 8, 2024.