A former abortion doctor has been ordered to appear in court Wednesday to explain why he failed to turn over ownership of his chain of clinics when his license was revoked a year ago.
TRENTON -- A former abortion doctor has been ordered to appear in court Wednesday to explain why he failed to turn over ownership of his chain of clinics when his license was revoked a year ago.
Dr. Steven C. Brigham appeared before the board of medical examiners in 2010. (The Star-Ledger File Photo) Steven C. Brigham has been ordered to appear in state Superior Court in Essex County to explain why he did not respond to a subpoena from the Attorney General's Office in June seeking information about the clinics, according to court records.
Deputy Attorney general Bindi Merchant also made nine inquiries with Brigham and his attorney, Joseph Gorrell seeking annual reports and contracts associated with Brigham's four corporations: American Healthcare Services, Advanced Professional Services, Alpha Real Estate and American Wellness Services, according to the records.
Brigham has not been allowed to practice since 2010, when the state Board of Medical Examiners found he had skirted state law by starting late-term abortions with five women. He administered a drug that killed the fetus in his South Jersey office, and ordering them to drive to his Maryland clinic, where the surgical procedure was completed.
Last year, Brigham lost an appeal and the board revoked his license.
Without his license, Brigham was required by state law to divest himself from the clinics he owned in Elizabeth, Mount Laurel, Paramus, Phillipsburg, Toms River, Woodbridge and Voorhees. He turned over the business to the company's medical director, Vikram Kaji.
But when an investigator from the Division of Consumer Affairs performed an unannounced inspection at a clinic in Hamilton April 22, Kaji denied he was the owner. During a closed-door hearing of a committee of the board on May 5, Vikram Kaji "repeatedly testified under oath that he was not the owner," according to the complaint filed June 16 by Deputy Attorney General Bindi Merchant.
"He expressly testified that there is no other person around, (Brigham's) the only one who runs the show,'' according to the complaint obtained by NJ Advance Media.
RELATED: N.J. abortion doctor appeals license revocation, divests from clinics
Marie Tasy, executive director for New Jersey Right to Life, has asked the Attorney General to shut down the clinics and bring new charges against Brigham for his deception.
"It is shocking that these (clinics) are still operating at all," Tasy said in recent letter to the Attorney General's Office.
Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
