Barrett’s decision is a result of one of several legal actions brought by Planned Parenthood to secure their funding after becoming the center of political controversy past year over the release of controversial tapes of former staff allegedly negotiating prices for aborted fetal tissue.
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Missouri Senate Republicans started examining a regional Planned Parenthood affiliate’s internal records on Thursday, reprising lawmakers’ investigation of the abortion provider after a month of little action.
An attorney for Planned Parenthood received the Center for Medical Progress’ raw footage from the Harris County District Attorney’s office in civil and criminal cases against the founder of the pro-life group, according to court documents. In Kansas Planned Parenthood has sued to block the state’s effort to cut off Medicaid funds.
The Scranton Times-Tribune this week ran a glowing endorsement of Planned Parenthood in an op-ed piece entitled, “Trained, ready to fight for freedom of choice”.
“I was told that the Attorney General’s Office agreed to give it to the HCDAO [Harris County District Attorney’s Office] on the condition that the HCDAO not give it to PPGC [Planned Parenthood of the Gulf Coast]”, Schaffer was quoted as writing. A grand jury simply decides to charge or not to charge, usually at the request of the prosecutor.
“That oversight was a mere technical, inconsequential violation of” the law, Anderson says in her new brief – a tiny “procedural irregularity” that “was minor and harmless”, her brief says.
Schaffer did not immediately return TheBlaze’s request for comment. Planned Parenthood responded to the series of videos by denying any wrongdoing. The conduct of Harris County prosecutors in this case is outrageous and illegal.
Mitchell was tapped by Anderson to lead a 2013 grand jury investigation into allegations brought by Operation Rescue against abortionist Douglas Karpen that he had intentionally murdered infants born alive after failed abortions at his two Houston abortion facilities. “Litigation is one of the tools that we will look at”.
Daleiden argued that since the Texas Attorney General’s office is still investigating Planned Parenthood, the district attorney’s office and Planned Parenthood “actively worked together to undermine that investigation”. “We will put Planned Parenthood’s lawyer on the stand and will expose the witch hunt that ended up with the indictment of my client but let baby part selling Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast get off scot-free”.
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Judge Barrett stated in his ruling that allowing the law to take effect could cause harm to Planned Parenthood and its programs.
