This newspaper’s advice in July was to not draw conclusions until everyone learned more about the secretly recorded videos of Planned Parenthood medical officials discussing fetal-tissue handling practices. That led to the charges they used fake government documents with the intent to defraud. In its suit Planned Parenthood said Daleiden “created false identities, practiced mail and wire fraud and violated confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, including alleged Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act violations” (RICO). Jared Woodfill, another attorney for the activists, said the methods that Daleiden and Merritt used to make the undercover videos are not different “than the tactics used by investigative reporters all around this country for decades”.
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If convicted, Daleiden and Merritt face up to 20 years in prison on the felony charge; the misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year. Paradoxically, one of the group members was charged with the crime they tried to bring against Planned Parenthood. Republican presidential candidates promise to end funding for Planned Parenthood if they are elected.
“Because of Newman’s position on the CMP Board, I believe Lewis viewed the Planned Parenthood grand jury as an opportunity for revenge”, Sullenger argues. Additionally, Daleiden was charged with attempting to purchase human organs. For making and using the fake identification to get into Planned Parenthood meetings, Sandra Merritt and David Daleiden could go to jail for up to 20years, The New York Times reported.
From the start, Planned Parenthood and its Houston lawyer Josh Schaffer settled on a strategy of cooperating with investigators, said Rochelle Tafolla, a spokeswoman for the affiliate.
Kentucky’s bill was motivated by the undercover videos filmed by two anti-abortion activists that accused Planned Parenthood officials of selling fetal tissue for profit.
Tafolla says the videos are a fraud and ploy to take the organization down.
One critical juncture in the case may have occurred when Planned Parenthood gave law enforcement an important tip: Merritt’s true name, according to Schaffer. The video maker, Daleiden, the Center for Medical Progress and BioMax are all being sued by Planned Parenthood in a lawsuit filed in federal court. Grand jury proceedings are secret and it is unknown if Anderson had suggested the charges.
Kelsey Conroy, an abortion opponent, said she gathered outside the office to protest peacefully.
Winant’s first visit to a Planned Parenthood was more than 16-years- ago.
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The investigations found the group that produced the videos, the Center for Medical Progress, was associated with an array of right-wing players such as vaccination denialists and anti-ACORN activists.
