If he were to move into the White House in January 2017, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, would "direct the Department of Justice to investigate Planned Parenthood." The Texas senator promised the investigation during the first Republican presidential debate but that did not keep Californian James Pollard from donating to the organization "in Ted Cruz's honor," The Washington Post reported.

Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Liz Clark told the newspaper that her group had received about two dozen contributions "honoring" Cruz and a handful of his fellow GOP hopefuls, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, real-estate mogul Donald Trump, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

The donations follow a recent vote in Congress, in which Cruz and Rubio attempted to defund the organization after it had come under fire over behind-the-scenes videos that allegedly depict the illegal sale of fetal tissues, according to the Daily Caller. Ever since the controversial release, Planned Parenthood has reportedly seen a sharp increase in contributions, the Washington Post noted.

"I think it's important to note that we're seeing more people writing in with messages of support for Planned Parenthood and the work we do than taking jabs at politicians," Clark told the newspaper.

In his closing statement during the Fox News and Facbook debate in Cleveland, Cruz had promised that he intended to go after the reproductive rights group during his "first day in office," the Blaze noted.

"If I'm elected president ... the first thing I plan to do is to rescind every illegal and unconstitutional action taken by Barack Obama," he said. "The next thing I intend to do is instruct the Department of Justice to open an investigation into these videos and prosecute Planned Parenthood for any criminal violations."

Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, had reiterated her support for the organization earlier in the week, the Daily Caller noted. "I'm proud to stand with Planned Parenthood; I'll never stop fighting to protect the ability and right of every woman in this country to make her own health decisions," the former secretary of state said.