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After contentious videos were released suggesting Planned Parenthood officials received profits for fetal tissue, the organization announced Tuesday it will no longer accept reimbursements of any kind.

Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood, testified before Congress in September that the videos were deceptively edited and the organization has never sought reimbursement from researchers for post-abortion fetal tissue outside of what is legally permissible.聽

But a new policy, outlined in a letter Tuesday from Ms. Richards to Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, says the controversy has led the organization to cover the costs of the program itself and reject even legal reimbursement.

鈥淧lanned Parenthood鈥檚 policies on fetal tissue donation already exceed the legal requirements,鈥� . 鈥淣ow we鈥檙e going even further in order to take away any basis for attacking Planned Parenthood to advance an anti-abortion political agenda.鈥澛�

Opponents of Planned Parenthood say this is more than an effort to save face聽 鈥� it鈥檚 鈥渁n admission of guilt.鈥�

鈥淚f the money Planned Parenthood has been receiving for baby body parts were truly legitimate 鈥榬eimbursement,鈥� why cancel it?鈥� asked David Deleiden, who led the attack against the program, an a responding to the decision.

鈥淚t is curious that, while Planned Parenthood officials maintain there has been no wrongdoing, they still find it necessary to change their policy,鈥� Rep. Diane Black, a Tennessee Republican who continues to oppose the program, told the Associated Press. 鈥淐learly, this was a decision motivated by optics rather than the organization鈥檚 conscience.鈥�

that the decision represents an attempt to take聽"away any basis for attacking Planned Parenthood鈥檚 limited work in fetal tissue donation."

And although the organization will now cover the cost of research donation, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it will have a huge impact on their budget,鈥� Dawn Laguens, Planned Parenthood鈥檚 executive vice president told the Associated Press. 鈥淔or Planned Parenthood, this was always about one thing 鈥� honoring the desire of women to contribute to lifesaving research. It was never about money.鈥�

Some supporters of the organization say this move can do nothing but help.

鈥淭he fees are being used to promote the canard that PP is killing babies for profit. They are not,鈥� Professor Arthur Caplan, director of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center鈥檚 Department of Population Health, told the Associated Press. 鈥淏ut deciding not to accept reimbursement for any processing or handling would effectively end the lying about what PP is and has been doing.鈥澛�

Scientists continue to support Planned Parenthood鈥檚 research efforts. The Department of Health and Human Services wrote a letter of support for the organization to Congress in August, saying 鈥渇etal tissue continues to be a critical resource for important efforts.鈥�

Of Planned Parenthood鈥檚 700 health centers nationwide, only two provide scientific researchers with fetal tissue: one in Washington and one in California. Ms. Laguens says Washington already had a no-reimbursement-whatsoever policy, so the new policy will simply require the state of California to do the same.聽聽

This report contains material from the Associated Press.