Investigation Into Planned Parenthood Leads To Indictment Of Anti-Abortion Activists

Good! Lies need to be challenged.

Investigation Into Planned Parenthood Leads To Indictment Of Anti-Abortion Activists
The sting videos released last summer led Texas and several other Republican-controlled states to try to halt funding for local Planned Parenthood operations.
01/25/2016 05:13 pm ET | Updated 15 minutes ago


AUSTIN, Texas, Jan 25 (Reuters) - A Texas grand jury has indicted two anti-abortion activists in a case involving covert videos on fetal tissue procurement talks with Planned Parenthood and found there was no wrongdoing on the part of the health group, a district attorney said on Monday.

The grand jury decision was a result of a probe launched last year under Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, who accused Planned Parenthood of the "gruesome harvesting of baby body parts." No evidence was provided by Texas to back the claim.

The videos released last summer led Texas and several other Republican-controlled states to try to halt funding for local Planned Parenthood operations.

"After a lengthy and thorough investigation by the Harris County District Attorney's Office, the Texas Rangers, and the Houston Police Department, a Harris County grand jury took no action Monday against Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast," the Harris County District Attorney's office said in a statement.

Planned Parenthood has denied the accusation and called the probe politically motivated.

David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt have been indicted by the grand jury for tampering with a governmental record, said prosecutors for the county in which Houston is located.

The two were involved in covert videos last year in which a discussion was held with a Planned Parenthood official on the procurement of fetal tissue.

Daleiden, founder of the Center for Medical Progress that released the videos, was also charged with violating a prohibition on the purchase and sale of human organs, a misdemeanor, the Harris County District Attorney said.

The videos purported to show Planned Parenthood officials trying to negotiate prices for aborted fetal tissue. Under federal law, donated human fetal tissue may be used for research, but profiting from its sale is prohibited.

Shortly after the release, Texas, the most populous Republican-controlled U.S. state, said it would launch a probe of Planned Parenthood.

"These people broke the law to spread malicious lies about Planned Parenthood in order to advance their extreme anti-abortion political agenda," said Eric Ferrero, vice president of Communications for Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

"As the dust settles and the truth comes out, it's become totally clear that the only people who engaged in wrongdoing are the criminals behind this fraud, and we're glad they're being held accountable," he said.

The Texas governor said: "Nothing about today's announcement in Harris County impacts the state's ongoing investigation."

In October, Texas raided several Planned Parenthood facilities in the state.

 

Abbott could and should be charged for his comments. They were lies, and Planned Parenthood is being unfairly harassed by his administration for those lies. Put his ass behind bars.

 

Indicted for what?

 

Is reading too difficult for you?

"David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt have been indicted by the grand jury for tampering with a governmental record, said prosecutors for the county in which Houston is located."

And this is just the beginning. Wait until PP sues for damages both financial and to their reputation and states start to recoup their costs for pointless investigations.

 

A sign is pictured at the entrance to a Planned Parenthood building in N.Y. on Aug. 31, 2015.

Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters
In Planned Parenthood case, the accusers become the accused
01/26/16 08:00 AM—UPDATED 01/26/16 08:02 AM
By Steve Benen

When “undercover” videos targeting Planned Parenthood first surfaced, many Republican officials and far-right activists believed the controversy would lead to criminal indictments. As of yesterday, they were half-right: one investigation into the matter did lead to criminal charges, but as it turns out, the conservative accusers have become the accused.

A Houston grand jury on Monday indicted two anti-abortion activists in connection with undercover videos shot in Texas that purported to show fetal organ sales inside a Planned Parenthood clinic.
The grand jury meanwhile declined to indict anyone from Planned Parenthood, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said in a statement.

David Daleiden, founder of a group that calls itself the Center for Medical Progress, was responsible for the videos, and yesterday was charged with a felony count of tampering with government documents, as well as a misdemeanor charge related to buying human organs.

And while tampering with government documents may seem like an odd crime under these circumstances, note that Daleiden and his accused colleague, Sandra Merritt, allegedly created fake materials, including bogus driver’s licenses, as part of their scheme.

The district attorney in this matter added yesterday that Planned Parenthood has been cleared of any wrongdoing – which is more than can be said of the activists who targeted the health organization.
wrapped up the latest in a series of state-based probes that determined the health organization did nothing wrong.

At this point, it seems the organization is faring far better than its detractors.
Disclosure: My wife works at Planned Parenthood, but she played no role in this piece and her work is unrelated to the controversial videos and the civil suit referenced above.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-...-accusers-become-the-accused?cid=sm_fb_maddow

 

The Harris County grand jury indicted David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, both of California, on charges of tampering with a governmental record, a second-degree felony with a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison. It also charged Daleiden, the leader of the videographers, with the same misdemeanor he had alleged – the purchase or sale of human organs, presumably because he had offered to buy in an attempt to provoke Planned Parenthood employees into saying they would sell.

 

GET THOSE PUH-PEES!





CARLY FIORINA SWEARS PLANNED PARENTHOOD SELLS BABY PARTS, NO MATTER WHAT THE REST OF THE WORLD SAYS
Posted by Christian Drake on 26 Jan 2016


Is there something wrong with Carly Fiorina, clinically speaking? It seemed like her desperate clinging and grasping at the Planned Parenthood non-controversy was just political pandering since she has nothing to run on. But, she making angry faces and struggling to not scream at the camera during interviews. However, things are starting to look like an irrational and personal obsession with her.

Carly phoned it into the Hugh Hewitt show so he could ask her about her favorite and only issue she is running on; why Planned Parenthood is a criminal organization.

Hewitt asked Fiorina what she thought about the recent indictments of two of the Planned Parenthood video makers. Fiorina immediately went into full propaganda mode:


Yes, well, this is why it’s a fight for the character of our nation. We know for a fact that because of Planned Parenthood’s own announcement that they would no longer accept payments for what they call “fetal tissue,” and they were in fact trafficking in baby body parts. So guess what? I’m not going to sit down and be quiet as I said at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. on Friday before the snowstorm descended. I will not sit down and be quiet, I know the value of life, we know what’s going on, and I will continue to stand for the character of this nation.

No, Carly, the fact Planned Parenthood decided not to accept reimbursement for shipping costs of tissue samples for research does not = admitting they were selling it to fund a luxury yacht fund. You can choose to not sit down all you want, but you will get tired of standing eventually as the rest of the nation leaves you behind in a lonely room of 5 or 7 failed presidential candidates that are on the discount book rack at the local WalMart.

The continual pressing of this issue is irresponsible at best. She knows full well what she is responsible for, by pushing the videos into the national spotlight during the first Republican debate. It ended in a mass shooting.

Carly doesn’t seem to care. She keeps swearing she saw things that even Fox News told her doesn’t exist. Republicans from both state and federal levels have found NOTHING wrong with Planned Parenthood on numerous occasions. The facts simply do not matter. When there is another terrorist act at a Planned Parenthood clinic, we know where to look for the cause.

http://winningdemocrats.com/carly-f...matter-what-the-rest-of-the-world-says-audio/

 

What would the charge be?

 

Can nobody on the Right read? Oh! I just figured out your problem. It's my fault for assuming literacy. I won't make that mistake again.

 

Hey idiot, did you not read the post to which I responded?
Your pet said "Abbott could and should be charged for what he said "
Geesh....just how stupid are you two?

 

Oooooh, did hurt your widdle feelwings? This is what he actually said.....

Have you never heard of defamation, slander, or libel? The consequences of the lies told about PP have been far reaching thanks to the idiots on the Right. They have a solid case against Abbott the only problem is Abbott has nothing but his freedom to lose. He is a tool. Like you.

 

I guess you really did not read it, did you?

 

Tool, stool, stoop, poop, shizzle...any one of them fits.

 

Well, damn. It appears there is collusion between the D.A.'s office in Harris County and Planned Parenthood. The D.A.'s office was asked months ago to recuse itself because one of its prosecutors IS ALSO A BOARD MEMBER OF THE PLANNED PARENTHOOD AFFILIATE IN THE CASE!!!! This indictment stinks to high heaven and it looks like it's a political hit-job, folks. No doubt about it.

I suspect this indictment will be thrown out the window pretty quickly once a review is completed by a special prosecutor. Well, of course, a special prosecutor who ISN'T ON THE BOARD OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD, that is.....!

Planned Parenthood-linked prosecutor fuels bias charges over pro-life indictments

January 26, 2016

Pro-life groups cried foul over Monday’s criminal indictments against two Center for Medical Progress investigators because a prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney’s office is a Planned Parenthood board member.

Lila Rose, founder of the pro-life group Live Action, called for a special prosecutor to review the Texas grand jury investigation into Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.

“The district attorney’s office was asked months ago about recusing itself from this case because one of its prosecutors serves as a board member of the Planned Parenthood affiliate involved in the case,” said Ms. Rose in a late Monday statement. “It is unacceptable that the office did not recuse itself to eliminate any and all questions of potential bias.”

SEE ALSO: Pro-life activists indicted, Planned Parenthood cleared in fetal tissue case

Operation Rescue and others had asked the District Attorney Devon Anderson to appoint a special prosecutor into Planned Parenthood’s involvement with fetal-tissue sales after learning in August that Lauren Reeder, a prosecutor in the family criminal law division, served on the board of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.

Ms. Anderson, a Republican, said at the time that Ms. Reeder had recused herself from the probe into Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, and that she “will not be involved in any manner in this investigation.”

After the grand jury indicted not Planned Parenthood officials but two investigators behind undercover videos on the organization’s role in procuring fetal tissue for medical research, however, pro-life advocates blasted the Harris County probe as tainted.

“If you don’t want the appearance of impropriety, a special prosecutor should have been selected,” said Operation Rescue senior vice president Cheryl Sullenger. “And now, because they allowed a Planned Parenthoodmole to remain in that office, that just increases our concern about the process.”

Meanwhile, Judge Andrew Napolitano described the indictments Monday on Fox News as a “political hit job.”

Ms. Anderson said earlier that Ms. Reeder had volunteered the information about her association with Planned Parenthood, adding, “She made the disclosure in order to be transparent.”

“If at any time in the future, reliable and credible information is brought to my attention that would question our ability to continue to perform a fair, thorough and independent investigation of this matter due to her board membership, I will revisit the issue of seeking the appointment of an independent prosecutor and act accordingly,” Ms. Anderson said in an Aug. 7 statement to the Houston Chronicle.

Ms. Reeder’s LinkedIn page shows that she has served as co-chair ofPlanned Parenthood Young Leaders since 2009 and as a board member since 2013 of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, which was targeted by CMP investigators, according to a Tuesday post on the Federalist.

Two CMP investigators, David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, were indicted by a grand jury Monday with tampering with governmental records by creating fake driver’s licenses as part of a nearly three-year undercover investigation.

Mr. Daleiden was also indicted on a misdemeanor charge of soliciting human organs. He released a statement Monday defending the investigation and saying that “buying fetal tissue requires a seller as well.”

Judie Brown, president of the American Life League, said it was “not surprising” that the DA’s office would find Planned Parenthood“blameless while trying to silence those who want to protect every human being’s life.”

“The evidence against Daleiden, as reported by the mainstream media, may or may not be valid, but lest we forget that the prosecution in this case is a district attorney’s office that has a Planned Parenthood board member as a prosecutor,” Ms. Brown said in a Tuesday statement.

 

I don't really think the facts of this case are all that hard to figure out. Bias or no bias, the proof is on the tape. What is depicted on the video is completely false and provably. Let the courts fight it out and the chips fall where they may.

 

The Republican DA Devon Anderson speaks for herself:

 

So, as we knew all along, the charges were politically motivated. Now since that's out of the way, we can get back to the fact that Planned Parenthood was selling baby body parts.

Last charge dropped against anti-abortion duo behind Planned Parenthood videos



July 26, 2016

A Texas judge on Tuesday dismissed the last remaining charge against two anti-abortion activists who made undercover videos allegedly showing Planned Parenthood officials selling baby body parts.

District Judge Brock Thomas dismissed the charge of tampering with government records against 27-year-old David Daleiden and 63-year-old Sandra Merritt upon the request of the Harris County prosecutor's office.

"The dismissal of the bogus, politically motivated charges against [Center for Medical Progress] project lead David Daleiden and investigator Sandra Merritt is a resounding vindication of the First Amendment rights of all citizen journalists, and also a clear warning to any of Planned Parenthood's political cronies who would attack whistleblowers to protect Planned Parenthood from scrutiny," Daleiden said in a statement.

The pair's attorneys had pushed to have the charge dismissed, saying Daleiden and Merritt never should have been indicted. If they had been convicted of the felony charge, each could have been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors alleged that Daleiden and Merritt used fake driver's licenses to conceal their identities while dealing with Planned Parenthood.

Daleiden claimed victory on Tuesday, not only for his legal woes coming to an end, but also due to the continuing investigation into Planned Parenthood's practices, an investigation spurred on by the videos he helped produce.

"A year after the release of the undercover videos, the ongoing nationwide investigation of Planned Parenthood by the House Select Investigative Panel makes clear that Planned Parenthood is the guilty party in the harvesting and trafficking of baby body parts for profit," Daleiden said.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/07/2...ion-duo-behind-planned-parenthood-videos.html

 

I repeat...

But the grand jury cleared Planned Parenthood of misusing fetal tissue and instead indicted Merritt and Daleiden, who has said he was working undercover as a journalist to expose illegalities in the handling of fetal tissue.

The only thing Merritt and Daleiden were cleared of is tampering with government records.

 

It was a political hit-job as it turned out. All charges have been dismissed! There was no substance to them just as I told you before. You didn't seem to be listening. But, now you know.

 

All what charges?

"Now since that's out of the way, we can get back to the fact that Planned Parenthood was selling baby body parts."

You don't seem to listen. PP was exonerated of what you claim.