Planned Parenthood 2015 undercover videos controversy

Last updated • 20 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

In 2015, an anti-abortion organization named the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) released several videos that had been secretly recorded. Members of the CMP posed as representatives of a biotechnology company in order to gain access to both meetings with abortion providers and abortion facilities. The videos showed how abortion providers made fetal tissue available to researchers, although no problems were found with the legality of the process. All of the videos were found to be altered, according to analysis by Fusion GPS and its co-founder Glenn R. Simpson, a former investigative reporter for The Wall Street Journal . The CMP disputed this finding, attributing the alterations to the editing out of "bathroom breaks and waiting periods". CMP had represented a longer version of the tapes as being "complete", as well as a shorter, edited version. The analysis by Fusion GPS concluded that the longer version was also edited, with skips and missing footage. [1] [2] Nonetheless, the videos attracted widespread media coverage; after the release of the first video, conservative lawmakers in Congress singled out Planned Parenthood and began to push bills that would strip the organization of federal family planning funding. No such attempts by Congress to cut federal family planning money from Planned Parenthood have become law. Conservative politicians in several states have also used this as an opportunity to cut or attempt to cut family planning funding at the state level.

Contents

Officials in twelve states initiated investigations into claims made by the videos, but none found Planned Parenthood clinics to have sold tissue for profit as alleged by CMP and other anti-abortion groups. An investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee found no evidence of wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood. A select committee, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood, was formed to further investigate Planned Parenthood. The Republican-controlled Select Investigative Panel released its final report on December 30, 2016, recommending that Planned Parenthood be defunded. The report was heavily criticized as partisan and inaccurate by Democratic members of the committee, Planned Parenthood, and some news media.

In January 2016, a Texas grand jury chartered to investigate Planned Parenthood found no wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood but instead indicted CMP founder David Daleiden and member Sandra Merritt for creating and using false government IDs and attempting to purchase fetal tissue. The charges against Daleiden and Merritt in Texas were dismissed six months later on the grounds that the grand jury's indictment authority had extended only to Planned Parenthood. In March 2017, Daleiden and Merritt were charged with 15 felonies in the State of California – one for each of the people whom they had filmed without consent, and one for criminal conspiracy to invade privacy. In June 2017, all the invasion of privacy charges (but not that of conspiracy) were dismissed with leave to amend, but in July 2017, the State of California re-filed amended charges. [3]

CMP's videos

The CMP videos consisted of portions of secretly recorded, hours-long conversations between members of CMP and abortion providers. Members of CMP posed as representatives of a non-existent company called Biomax Procurement Services, presenting themselves as potential buyers of fetal tissue. [4] CMP stated that it has "hundreds if not thousands of hours of recordings". [5] [6]

The videos were made over a period of 30 months, and were released approximately once per week to increase exposure, including media coverage, and to allow the public more time to consume and react to each video. [7] Americans United for Life began working with CMP beginning in January 2015, providing them with advice. [7] There were widespread protests at Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) affiliates. [8] [9] The debate over abortion was reinvigorated. [4]

One of the videos includes an image of a stillborn fetus, published in the Daily Mail in January 2014, used without the permission of the woman in the photo, and in a way that falsely suggests that the stillborn was aborted. [10]

Financial aspects

CMP alleged that the videos were evidence of Planned Parenthood engaging in the illegal sale of fetal tissue. [4] Their dummy corporation Biomax offered one clinic US$1,600 for tissue, but the affiliate declined the offer. [11] [12] The New York Times has characterized the offer as an attempt to "trap the affiliate in the act of accepting a high payment for fetal tissue". [11]

In a less-edited version of the first video, PPFA staff repeatedly state that the organization makes no money from tissue donations, and that the $30100 charge only covers procurement costs. [4] PPFA have said they may donate fetal tissue at the request of a patient, but such tissue is never sold. [4] [13] At one point in the video, a PPFA staffer states "nobody should be 'selling' tissue," and "that's just not the goal here." [14]

According to several experts in the field, the money Planned Parenthood received for fetal tissue was too little to make any profit for Planned Parenthood and constituted reasonable compensation for the costs of procurement, as allowed by federal law. These experts included Sherilyn J. Sawyer, the director of Harvard University's and Brigham and Women's Hospital's biorepository; Jim Vaught, president of the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories and formerly the deputy director of the National Cancer Institute's (NCIs) Office of Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research; and Carolyn Compton, the chief medical and science officer of Arizona State University's National Biomarkers Development Alliance and a former director of biorepositories and biospecimen research at the NCI. [14]

On October 13, 2015, Planned Parenthood announced it would no longer accept reimbursement for the costs of collecting and shipping fetal tissue to research labs. Citing an "anti-abortion agenda" by some in Congress, Planned Parenthood stated the move was designed to remove a reason for politically motivated attacks. [15] [16]

Alleged variation in abortion procedures

The CMP alleges that the videos show Planned Parenthood officials offering to make adjustments in the techniques used in abortions in order to acquire more intact fetal tissues and organs. [17] Federal law prohibits changing from one abortion procedure to another procedure in order to obtain human tissue for medical research, [18] [19] as well as for delivering intact fetuses. [18] Planned Parenthood spokespeople have responded to CMP's allegations by stating that the organization follows "all laws  period", and that accusations made in CMP's videos "are false". [17] [20]

In the sixth video, Holly O'Donnell, an anti-abortion former StemExpress technician, says that she was told by her superiors to encourage women seeking abortions to sign the consent forms, and that even when women refused to sign the fetal organs and tissues were sometimes taken anyway. [20] [21] In the unedited first video, representatives state the donations are only made with the patient's consent. [4] StemExpress, a supplier of biological specimens mostly stem cells for research, has "unequivocally" denied O'Donnell's allegation, stating that the video is "deceptively edited and falsely worded to suggest impropriety or illegality where none exists". [20] Eric Ferrero, vice president of communication for the PPFA, noted that O'Donnell "has never worked for Planned Parenthood", and called her allegations "false and outrageous". [20]

Aftermath

The editorial board of The New York Times described CMP's actions as a "campaign of deception against Planned Parenthood", and wrote that the "video campaign is a dishonest attempt to make legal, voluntary and potentially lifesaving tissue donations appear nefarious and illegal". Supporters of Planned Parenthood have complained that the videos were "highly edited". [22] [23]

Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood, "personally [apologized] for the staff member's tone and statements", saying the videos were "unacceptable". [24] Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of PPFA, stated: "The latest [fifth] tape has at least 20 substantial and unexplained edits. Previous tapes released by this extremist group were 'heavily edited' in order to distort what was actually said. These videos are intended to shock and deceive the public." [22] In a letter to a Congressional committee, PPFA wrote: "A group of extremists who have intimidated women and doctors for yearsin their agenda to ban abortion completelyare not 'documenting' misdeeds; they are trying to create them, quite unsuccessfully." [4]

In response to Planned Parenthood, CMP stated that "we look forward to showing the public more clear evidence that Planned Parenthood routinely profits from the sale of baby parts and changes the abortion procedures it uses on pregnant women in order to do so". [13]

Investigations

Responding to the videos and to CMP's allegations, three different Congressional committees, and officials in a number of states, launched investigations into Planned Parenthood's tissue collection activities. [25] One Congressional committee asked to interview the filmed representatives to see whether the statements made in the videos are consistent with existing federal law. [26] [27]

On July 30, 2015, former Indiana Governor Mike Pence announced that the state's investigation did not find any evidence of wrongdoing in Planned Parenthood's handling of fetal tissue. [28] In Massachusetts, where there is no fetal tissue and organ donation program, Attorney General Maura Healey found that aborted fetuses are disposed of properly in a report that "voiced strong support for" Planned Parenthood. [29] In Florida, investigators from the Agency for Health Care Administration found on July 31, 2015 that three Planned Parenthood clinics were performing second-trimester abortions without the proper licenses, and that one clinic was failing to keep proper logs relating to fetal remains. Planned Parenthood rejected the findings. [30]

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced an investigation into practices in Texas, and said that the state would "expand its investigation" after the release of the second video, [31] and Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced that his office would investigate Planned Parenthood for any potential wrongdoing at its clinics in that state. [31] Investigations were also launched in Ohio, Kansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana, with calls for the U.S. Justice Department to investigate. [32]

At the local level, the Harris County district attorney launched a criminal investigation in conjunction with the Texas Rangers and the Houston Police Department after the fifth video was released showing a Planned Parenthood executive in that city. [33]

Altogether, the videos prompted investigations in fifteen states, including Texas where one undercover recording operation took place; eight other states refused to investigate their Planned Parenthood clinics, including California and Colorado where other CMP recordings also occurred. [34]

California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced an investigation into the CMP's practice of undercover recording. [5]

Officials in Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, South Dakota, and Kansas investigated and failed to find any evidence of Planned Parenthood clinics breaking any state laws concerning the collection of fetal tissues. [35] The state of Pennsylvania cleared Planned Parenthood of any wrongdoing. [36] In September, the Missouri Attorney General found no evidence that the state's only clinic that provides abortion services mishandled fetal tissues. The report stated, "As a result of our investigation, the Office of the Missouri Attorney General has found no evidence that (Planned Parenthood) has engaged in unlawful disposal of fetal organs and tissue." [37]

On October 8, 2015, Republican Representative Jason Chaffetz (Utah), chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, stated that the GOP investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood. [38]

On January 25, 2016, a Houston grand jury chartered to investigate Planned Parenthood, instead indicted Daleiden [39] and another videographer, Sandra Merritt, [40] for creating fake driver's licenses used as identification (a felony) and offering to purchase fetal tissue (a misdemeanor). [41] On June 14, 2016, the misdemeanor charges concerning fetal tissue were dropped due to a technicality, [42] [43] and on July 26, 2016, the felony charges (related to false identification) were dismissed by a judge who ruled that the grand jury exceeded its authority by indicting Daleiden and Merritt when it was chartered only to investigate Planned Parenthood. [44] [45] [46] [47] On March 28, 2017, however, Daleiden and Merritt were charged with 15 felonies in the State of California – one for each of the people whom they had filmed without consent, and one for criminal conspiracy to invade privacy. [48]

A select committee, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood, was formed to further investigate Planned Parenthood, with Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn serving as the chairman. [49] [50] On September 21, the panel voted 8–0 to recommend holding StemExpress in contempt of Congress for failure to comply with a subpoena. [51] The six Democratic members of the panel walked out of the meeting in protest before the vote. [52] The committee's final report recommended that "the National Institutes of Health be required to stop funding fetal tissue research, and that the huge health provider Planned Parenthood be stripped of U.S. funding." According to Science , the report contained multiple inaccuracies. [53] Democratic members of the panel – who had not been permitted to read, respond to, or vote on the final report – released an alternate report, [54] in which they criticized the committee for relying on "McCarthy-era tactics" and of relying on "unsourced, unverified documents" in writing the report. A Planned Parenthood spokesperson described the report as "nothing more than a partisan attack on Planned Parenthood and women's access to safe and legal abortion" and noted that 13 state-level investigations and other congressional inquiries had found no wrongdoing. [55] The Washington Post, New York Magazine and Los Angeles Times described the panel's inquiry as a "witch hunt" and criticized both its findings and tactics in editorials. [54] [56] [57]

Court orders

On July 31, 2015, the National Abortion Federation sued CMP and Daleiden. [23] A Los Angeles judge placed a temporary restraining order on the release of further videos of employees of StemExpress, one company which Planned Parenthood does business with, based on California's anti-wiretapping law. [58] [59] [60] The order also prohibited the group from disclosing names or addresses of National Abortion Federation members, or dates and locations of future meetings. [5] The restraining order was later lifted, allowing release of more videos. [61] A hearing was held on August 27, 2015. [62]

CMP has said that it follows "all applicable laws". [13] Daleiden has stated that, in the suppressed video, the "top leadership" of StemExpress "admitted that they sometimes get fully intact fetuses shipped to their laboratory from the abortion clinics that they work with and that could be prima facie evidence of born-alive infants". [21] StemExpress has denied Daleiden's "intact fetuses" allegations:

CMP's accusations that this conversation somehow refers to "intact fetuses", which were never mentioned at any point during the entirety of the illegally recorded conversation, are false. StemExpress has never requested, received or provided to a researcher an "intact fetus". CMP and Daleiden's claims to the contrary are unequivocally false. [61]

StemExpress CEO Cate Dyer explained the discrepancy as a misuse of terms by CMP operatives:

As anyone can see and read, the entire discussion was, in fact, about "intact livers." [...] My use of the term "intact cases" is a medical term of art that refers solely to "intact livers," as there was absolutely no mention of "intact fetuses" at any point in over two hours of illegally recorded video. [63]

StemExpress has severed ties with Planned Parenthood as a result of the controversy, stating that their business with Planned Parenthood was a small percentage of their activities. [61]

In September 2015, two courts ruled that Daleiden and CMP must turn over private documents and submit to depositions about how they orchestrated their video sting, and could require Daleiden to turn over paperwork and details of the operation, and provide the full raw footage he collected while posing as an executive of the fictitious tissue procurement firm Biomax. [64] On December 4, 2015, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy ruled on an emergency appeal from the CMP. The CMP's appeal had asked the Justice to block the lower courts' order that would require CMP to release the names of its donors. Justice Kennedy denied the appeal. [65]

In September 2019, a hearing was held in San Francisco to determine whether David Daleiden and his associate Sandra Merritt should go to trial for fifteen criminal counts of felony invasion of privacy. [66] In this hearing, Daleiden's attorneys disputed the warrant by which agents with the California Department of Justice entered Daleiden's home and seized computers and digital storage devices, along with some phony identification documents in April 2016. The court, however, denied their claim that Daleiden was protected by California's Shield Law for acting as a citizen journalist, because the Department of Justice had sufficient probable cause of criminal activity to make the seizures. [67] Following this hearing, Planned Parenthood and others affected by Daleiden's videos initiated a civil jury trial against Daleiden, Merritt, Troy Newman, Albin Rhomberg and Gerardo Adrian Lopez in state court. They are being accused of fraud, breach of contract, unlawful recording of conversations, civil conspiracy and also violation of federal anti-racketeering law. [68]

Scientific impact

In August 2015, StemExpress cut all ties with Planned Parenthood for the procurement of human fetal tissue, [69] which has had a severe impact on medical researchers. StemExpress was one of the main providers of human fetal tissue along with Advanced Biosciences Resources. According to a congressional report, [70] research into the Zika virus has been stalled along with investigations into Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, diabetes, and childhood leukemia. Science Friday [71] aired a segment about Dr. Eugene Gu, one of the fetal tissue researchers subpoenaed by Congress. [72] Gu studies congenital heart and kidney diseases in infants but has since placed his research on hold after United States Marshals delivered the subpoena to his Nashville apartment, which is in proximity to Marsha Blackburn and Diane Black. [73]

This is in spite of broad support for fetal tissue research by the scientific community. The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published an editorial in support of Planned Parenthood's "efforts to channel fetal tissue into important medical research". The editorial argued that many medical advances would not have been made without fetal tissue research and that "Planned Parenthood, its physicians, and the researchers who do this work should be praised, not damned." The NEJM described CMP's actions as a "campaign of misinformation" and said that it is shameful that CMP "continues to twist the facts to achieve its ends". In addition, the NEJM praised Planned Parenthood's contributions to women's health care and stated that the "contraception services that Planned Parenthood delivers may be the single greatest effort to prevent the unwanted pregnancies that result in abortions". [74]

Political impact

The videos were shown to several anti-abortion congresspeople, including Diane Black, Trent Franks, and Tim Murphy, weeks before being made publicly available. [7] [75] Black said that she was given advance screening of the videos, which "literally made [her] sick to [her] stomach" as well as "emotional and tearful", so that she would be prepared to comment on them after their release. [7]

The timing of the first video led commentators to speculate it may have been released to coincide with a bill to raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which gives funding to Planned Parenthood. [76] After the first video was released, Rand Paul and Diane Black introduced pre-prepared legislation to discontinue federal funding of Planned Parenthood. [77] [78] [79] [80] [81]

On July 14, 2015, House Speaker John Boehner ordered congressional hearings into the practice procuring fetal tissues and organs by Planned Parenthood, and at least one committee committed to scheduling a hearing. [82] Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has said that Planned Parenthood's practices "should be looked into". [83] [84]

On August 3, 2015, the legislation failed to pass in the Senate with 53 supporting discontinuing funding and 46 opposed. This was seven votes short of the 60 needed to pass the bill. [85] [86] [87] [88]

On September 18, 2015, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 241187 to defund Planned Parenthood for one year, allowing time to investigate alleged wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood. The vote was largely symbolic and was not expected to pass in the Senate; additionally, President Obama stated that he would veto legislation to defund Planned Parenthood. [89] [90] [91] Some[ who? ] raised the issue that this kind of congressional vote could violate the United States Constitution, which prohibits bills of attainder, which refers to lawmakers punishing an individual or organization based on alleged infractions without a finding of guilt by a court. [92]

Presidential campaigns

Several Republican presidential candidates repeated CMP's allegations that PPFA used tissue donation as a way to profit from abortion. Rick Perry said "The video showing a Planned Parenthood employee selling the body parts of aborted children is a disturbing reminder of the organization's penchant for profiting off the tragedy of a destroyed human life", [14] and cited the videos as the reason why Planned Parenthood should lose federal funding. [93] Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul posted on Twitter "...a video showing Planned Parenthood's top doctor describing how she performs late-term abortions to sell body parts for profit", vowed to campaign to defund Planned Parenthood, [78] and called for Hillary Clinton to return Planned Parenthood's donations to her campaign. [93]

Carly Fiorina said "This latest news is tragic and outrageous. This isn't about 'choice'. It's about profiting on the death of the unborn while telling women it's about empowerment". [14] During the September 16, 2015, GOP presidential candidates' debate on CNN , she harshly criticized Planned Parenthood and their involvement in fetal tissue donation, [94] [95] stating "I dare Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama to watch these tapes. Watch a fully formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking, while someone says, 'We have to keep it alive to harvest its brain'". [96] The website PolitiFact.com , however, said the video footage Fiorina referred to was not obtained from a Planned Parenthood clinic, but was stock footage of an unrelated live fetus, obtained from the Grantham Collection, "an organization that hopes to stem abortion by promoting graphic images of the procedure". It was then added by CMP to dramatize the description by StemExpress procurement technician Holly O'Donnell. In the edited video, O'Donnell alleged that while she was working in a pathology lab at a Planned Parenthood clinic, her supervisor told her that they would procure a brain from a well preserved fetus. O'Donnell said: "I'm sitting here looking at this fetus, and its heart is beating, and I don't know what to think." [94] [95] [96] The New York Times reported that "while the authenticity of the videos remains a subject of debate, Mrs. Fiorina appears to have exaggerated their contents", [97] and PolitiFact.com rated Fiorina's statement "mostly false". [96]

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who "staunchly defended" the organization, said that the videos were "disturbing" and called for a national investigation into the sale of aborted fetal tissue. [93] The White House said it would oppose any congressional attempts to defund Planned Parenthood. [98]

Other reactions

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal announced, on August 3, 2015, that the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals was terminating its contract with Planned Parenthood, which provides the organization with state Medicaid funds. [99] In court filings, the Justice Department argued that Louisiana's action violates federal law by denying Medicaid patients the choice of their healthcare providers. [100] Also noted, neither of the two Louisiana clinics provide abortion services. [101] The states of Alabama, [81] New Hampshire, [80] and Utah [102] also cut their respective funding to Planned Parenthood in the wake of the videos, while Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were considering similar measures. [103] The Obama administration has warned state legislators it may be illegal to cut funding to Planned Parenthood. [104]

After consulting with the university's Bioethics Advisory Committee, Colorado State University president Tony Frank suspended the further purchase of fetal tissue for research purposes. [105]

Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting

On November 27, 2015, a gunman shot and killed two civilians and a police officer during a five-hour gun battle at the Colorado Springs clinic. [106] [107] [108] The 57-year-old gunman [109] surrendered to police and was taken into custody. During his arrest, he gave a rambling interview [110] in which, at one point, he said "no more baby parts", [111] an apparent reference to protests against the clinic, [112] [113] echoing language used in the news media about the clinic. [114] [115] [116] However, authorities could not clearly identify a specific motivation. [110]

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch called the shooting a "crime against women receiving health care services". [117] Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said that the shooting and standoff "certainly appears" to be an act of domestic terrorism. [118]

Vicki Saporta, president of the National Abortion Federation drew particular attention to the videos, two of which were filmed at a clinic in Denver, 75 miles (121 km) north of Colorado Springs; these videos resulted in a number of threats against one doctor featured in the videos, who had to move out of her home and hire 24-hour security as a result according to Saporta. [119]

The CMP issued a statement condemning the shooting as a "barbaric killing spree" by a "violent madman". [120]

2017 developments

In March 2017, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra charged Daleiden and Merritt with 15 felonies related to the videos, including one count of conspiracy to invade privacy and 14 counts of filming people without permission in Los Angeles. [121] In response, Daleiden issued a statement calling the charges "bogus" and pledged to release more videos. [122] The editorial board of the Los Angeles Times published an editorial stating that while they disagreed with the CMP's cause and methods, the filing of criminal charges by Becerra was a "disturbingly aggressive" action against people "trying to influence a contested issue of public policy." [123] On June 21, 2017, all the invasion of privacy charges (but not that of conspiracy) were dismissed with leave to amend. [124] Soon after, the State of California re-filed the charges, amended. [3]

In December 2016, Senator Chuck Grassley referred Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for investigation. In the fall of 2017, the FBI made a request to the Senate Judiciary Committee for access to un-redacted comments obtained from abortion providers. [125]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides reproductive and sexual healthcare, and sexual education in the United States and globally. It is a member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).

Anti-abortion violence is violence committed against individuals and organizations that perform abortions or provide abortion counseling. Incidents of violence have included destruction of property, including vandalism; crimes against people, including kidnapping, stalking, assault, attempted murder, and murder; and crimes affecting both people and property, as well as arson and terrorism, such as bombings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Cooley</span> American politician and prosecutor

Stephen Lawrence Cooley is an American politician and prosecutor. He was the Los Angeles County District Attorney from 2000 to 2012. Cooley was re-elected in 2004 and again in 2008.

<i>The Silent Scream</i> 1984 film

The Silent Scream is a 1984 anti-abortion film created and narrated by Bernard Nathanson, a former abortion provider who had become an anti-abortion activist. It was produced by Crusade for Life, Inc., an evangelical anti-abortion organization, and has been described as a pro-life propaganda film. The film depicts the abortion process via ultrasound and shows an abortion taking place in the uterus. During the abortion process, the fetus is described as appearing to make outcries of pain and discomfort. The video has been a popular tool used by the anti-abortion campaign in arguing against abortion, but it has been criticized as misleading by some members of the medical community.

Life Dynamics Inc. (LDI) is an anti-abortion organization founded by Mark Crutcher in 1992. It is headquartered in Denton, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abortion law in the United States by state</span> Termination of pregnancy in states of the United States

The legality of abortion in the United States and the various restrictions imposed on the procedure vary significantly depending on the laws of each state or other jurisdiction. Some states prohibit abortion at all stages of pregnancy with few exceptions, others permit it up to a certain point in a woman's pregnancy, while others allow abortion throughout a woman's pregnancy. In states where abortion is legal, several classes of restrictions on the procedure may exist, such as parental consent or notification laws, requirements that patients be shown an ultrasound before obtaining an abortion, mandatory waiting periods, and counselling requirements.

Live Action is an American 501(c)3 nonprofit anti-abortion organization founded by Lila Rose. Live Action is known for its anti-abortion activism and posting of undercover videos taken at Planned Parenthood. Live Action seeks to outlaw abortion nationwide and to defund Planned Parenthood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abby Johnson (activist)</span> American activist and author (born 1980)

Abby Johnson is an American anti-abortion activist who previously worked at Planned Parenthood as a clinic director, but resigned in October 2009. She states that she resigned after watching an abortion on ultrasound. The veracity of her account and the details and motivation for her conversion have been challenged by investigative reporters, as medical records contradict some of her claims.

The Texas Alliance for Life is an anti-abortion lobbying organization in the State of Texas. The group opposes "the advocacy and practice of abortion ." The group also opposes euthanasia and "all forms of assisted suicide." It is based in Austin, Texas.

David Robert Daleiden is an American anti-abortion activist who worked for Live Action before founding the Irvine, California-based Center for Medical Progress in 2013.

The Center for Medical Progress (CMP) is an anti-abortion organization founded by David Daleiden in 2013. The CMP is best known for producing undercover recordings that prompted a controversy over Planned Parenthood in 2015; CMP established a fake company to pose as buyers of fetal tissue and secretly recorded Planned Parenthood officials during meetings.

The United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood was a select subcommittee of the United States House of Representatives. Following the 2015 release of undercover videos filmed by The Center for Medical Progress, an anti-abortion group, purporting to show Planned Parenthood engaging in the sale of tissue from aborted fetuses, John Boehner, the Speaker of the House, announced in September 2015 that he was considering forming a select committee to investigate Planned Parenthood. The committee fell under the jurisdiction of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The House approved the committee on October 7, 2015, by a party-line vote of 242–189, with all but one member of the Republican Party supporting the committee and only two members of the Democratic Party voting in favor of its creation.

On November 27, 2015, a mass shooting occurred in a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado, resulting in the deaths of three people and injuries to nine. A police officer and two civilians were killed; five police officers and four civilians were injured. After a standoff that lasted five hours, police SWAT teams crashed armored vehicles into the lobby and the attacker surrendered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eugene Gu</span> American physician-scientist

Eugene Gu is an American physician and social media personality. While he was in medical school, he founded a company called Ganogen to develop methods to use fetal tissue implants in organ transplantation. Work at Ganogen had ceased when he started his residency in 2015, but in 2016 he was subpoenaed as CEO of the company by the United States House Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood following the Planned Parenthood 2015 undercover videos controversy.

Fusion GPS is a commercial research and strategic intelligence firm based in Washington, D.C. The company conducts open-source investigations and provides research and strategic advice for businesses, law firms and investors, as well as for political inquiries, such as opposition research. The "GPS" initialism is derived from "Global research, Political analysis, Strategic insight".

Abortion in Tennessee is illegal from fertilization, except to "prevent the death of the pregnant woman or to prevent serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman".

Abortion in Iowa is legal up to 20 weeks of gestation. A 6-week abortion ban has been indefinitely blocked in court.

Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, Inc., No. 18-483, 587 U.S. ___, 139 S.Ct. 1780 (2019), was a United States Supreme Court case dealing with the constitutionality of a 2016 anti-abortion law passed in the state of Indiana. Indiana's law sought to ban abortions performed solely on the basis of the fetus' gender, race, ethnicity, or disabilities. Lower courts had blocked enforcement of the law for violating a woman's right to abortion under privacy concerns within the Fourteenth Amendment, as previously found in the landmark cases Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The lower courts also blocked enforcement of another portion of the law that required the disposal of aborted fetuses through burial or cremation. The per curiam decision by the Supreme Court overturned the injunction on the fetal disposal portion of the law, but otherwise did not challenge or confirm the lower courts' ruling on the non-discrimination clauses, leaving these in place.

Amelia Bonow is an American abortion rights activist and co-creator of the social media campaign #ShoutYourAbortion along with fellow activists Lindy West and Kimberly Morrison. She is the Founding Director of #ShoutYourAbortion. Bonow’s writing has appeared in The New Republic, The Huffington Post, The New York Daily News, and Salon, among others.

References

  1. "I thought I saw all the Planned Parenthood sting footage. Turns out the tapes were edited". www.vox.com. August 28, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  2. "House GOP, Democrats spar on Planned Parenthood". www.detroitnews.com. September 29, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  3. 1 2 "California files more charges against antiabortion activists". sfgate.com. July 7, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Planned Parenthood Says Video Part of Decadelong Harassment". The New York Times. Associated Press. July 20, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "U.S. judge halts release of secretly recorded videos of abortion providers". Los Angeles Times . August 2, 2015. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  6. Calmes, Jackie. "Planned Parenthood Videos Were Altered, Analysis Finds". nyt.com. nyt.com. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Sullivan, Peter (August 11, 2015). "Assault on Planned Parenthood was years in the making". The Hill. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  8. Holley, Peter (August 22, 2015). "Thousands protest outside Planned Parenthood clinics around the country". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  9. Pager, Tyler (August 21, 2015). "Nationwide Planned Parenthood protests set for Saturday". USA Today. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  10. "Undercover Antiabortion Video Showed Images of Stillborn — Not Aborted — Fetus". Yahoo Health. September 18, 2015.
  11. 1 2 "The Campaign of Deception Against Planned Parenthood". New York Times editorial. July 22, 2015.
  12. "Planned Parenthood Tells Congress More Videos of Clinics Might Surface". The New York Times. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 Bassett, Laura (July 20, 2015). "Planned Parenthood: More Sting Videos Are Coming". The Huffington Post.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Unspinning the Planned Parenthood Video". FactCheck.org. July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  15. Lewin, Tamar (October 13, 2015), "Planned Parenthood Won't Accept Money for Fetal Tissue", The New York Times , retrieved October 13, 2015, Of Planned Parenthood's nearly 700 health centers nationwide, only two — one in California and one in Washington State — supply fetal tissue to researchers, and only the one in California has been getting reimbursed, the organization said.
  16. Crary, David; Fram, Alan (October 13, 2015), Planned Parenthood changes fetal-tissue reimbursement policy, Associated Press, Planned Parenthood says its fetal tissue programs currently take place in only two states — California and Washington — at about a half-dozen of the 700 health centers run by the organization nationwide.
  17. 1 2 Ohlheiser, Abby (July 30, 2015). "Activists release a fourth undercover video as the battle over Planned Parenthood intensifies". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  18. 1 2 "Planned Parenthood official: Abortion procedures, prices altered to meet demand". Fox News Channel. August 4, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  19. Thomas Roberts (July 21, 2015). MSNBC Live With Thomas Roberts. MSNBC. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Haberkorn, Jennifer (August 12, 2015). "New video claims firm illegally obtained tissue at Planned Parenthood clinic". Politico. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  21. 1 2 Scott, Eugene (August 12, 2015). "6th Planned Parenthood video released". CNN. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  22. 1 2 "Antiabortion group posts another video attacking Planned Parenthood", The Washington Post, August 4, 2015.
  23. 1 2 "State Probes Find Zero Planned Parenthood Violations As Antiabortion Group Is Sued Over Undercover Videos". Yahoo News. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  24. Merica, Dan (July 23, 2015). "Hillary Clinton: Planned Parenthood video part of 'concerted attack'". CNN. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  25. Calmes, Jackie; St. Fleur, Nicholas (July 15, 2015). "House Republicans to Investigate Planned Parenthood Over Fetal Tissue". The New York Times.
  26. "Federal lawmakers are digging deeper into the Planned Parenthood controversy". Business Insider. Reuters. August 7, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  27. "Video Accuses Planned Parenthood of Crime", The New York Times, July 15, 2015.
  28. Indiana clears Planned Parenthood of wrongdoing after videos, Fox News Channel, Associated Press, July 30, 2015, retrieved January 8, 2017
  29. Scharfenberg, David (July 29, 2015). "Planned Parenthood 'fully compliant' with law, Healey says" . Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  30. Armour, Stephanie (August 6, 2015). "Florida Investigation of Planned Parenthood Clinics Finds Deficiencies". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  31. 1 2 Somashekhar, Sandhya; Ohlheiser, Abby (July 21, 2015). "Antiabortion group releases second Planned Parenthood video". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  32. Jake Tapper (August 4, 2015). The Lead With Jake Tapper. CNN. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  33. Nazerian, Tina (August 5, 2015). "Harris DA to investigate Planned Parenthood after release of video". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  34. Kurtzleben, Danielle (January 28, 2016). "Planned Parenthood Investigations Find No Fetal Tissue Sales". npr.org.
  35. Culp-Ressler, Tara (August 15, 2015), Investigations Into Planned Parenthood Are Falling Totally Flat, ThinkProgress , retrieved September 19, 2015
  36. Hardison, Lizzy (August 21, 2015). "DOH: Planned Parenthood Cleared of Any Wrongdoing". Politics PA. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  37. Hauser, Christine (September 29, 2015). "Missouri Finds Planned Parenthood Didn't Mishandle Fetal Tissue". The New York Times. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  38. Jennifer Bendery (October 8, 2015), "GOP Probe Into Planned Parenthood Funding Comes Up Empty. Jason Chaffetz says he's found no evidence of wrongdoing by the family planning provider.", The Huffington Post , retrieved October 8, 2015
  39. The Harris County, Texas grand jury charged Daleiden with making, presenting and using a California driver's license "with the intent to defraud and harm another [ . . .]". The photocopy attached to the indictment appears to show a California driver's license in the name of "Robert David Sarkis." Indictment, January 25, 2016, The State of Texas v. David Robert Daleiden, case no. 1496318, 338th District Court, Harris County, Texas.
  40. The Harris County, Texas grand jury charged Sandra Susan Merritt with making, presenting and using a California driver's license "with the intent to defraud and harm another [ . . . ]". The photocopy attached to the indictment appears to show a California driver's license in the name of "Susan Sarah Tennenbaum." Indictment, January 25, 2016, The State of Texas v. Sandra Susan Merritt, case no. 1496319, 338th District Court, Harris County, Texas.
  41. "Update: Grand Jury Takes No Action Against Planned Parenthood In Houston, Two Videographers Indicted". Houston Public Media. January 25, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  42. Rogers, Brian (July 26, 2016). "Charges dismissed against Planned Parenthood videographers - Houston Chronicle". Chron.com. Retrieved January 11, 2017. A Harris County Criminal Court at Law judge dismissed the misdemeanor count against Daleiden last month, saying the indictment was flawed.
  43. Bradford Richardson, "Misdemeanor charge dropped against David Daleiden in undercover Planned Parenthood sting," June 14, 2016, The Washington Times, at .
  44. Redden, Molly (July 26, 2016). "Charges dismissed in indictments over Planned Parenthood sting videos". The Guardian . The district judge Brock Thomas dismissed charges of tampering with government records against David Daleiden, 27, and Sandra Merritt, ruling that the grand jury which indicted the two activists had exceeded its authority. ... In April, attorneys for Daleiden and Merritt argued that the grand jury, because it was only charged with investigating Planned Parenthood, had exceeded its mandate when it indicted the two activists.
  45. "Last charge dropped against anti-abortion duo behind Planned Parenthood videos". Fox News. July 26, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  46. "Charges dismissed against duo who made anti-Planned Parenthood videos". CBS News. July 26, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  47. Dana Liebelson, "Felony Charge Against Anti-Abortion Activists Who Made Sting Videos Dismissed," July 26, 2016, Huffington Post, at .
  48. "Felony charges for 2 who secretly filmed Planned Parenthood". Archived from the original on March 29, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  49. Kane, Paul (October 23, 2015), "Boehner's next select committee, focusing on Planned Parenthood, to be led by Marsha Blackburn", The Washington Post , retrieved November 11, 2015
  50. "Final Report" (PDF). United States House Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood. December 20, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  51. House Panel Holds Fetal Tissue Firm in Contempt, Dems Walk (AP)
  52. House panel votes to hold fetal tissue company in contempt (The Hill)
  53. Wadman, Meredith (January 5, 2017). "Fact-checking Congress's fetal tissue report". Science . doi:10.1126/science.aal0582 . Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  54. 1 2 Rinkunas, Susan. "Now-Defunct Planned Parenthood 'Witch Hunt' Panel Calls for Terrifying Changes".
  55. Mike DeBonis (January 4, 2017). "House panel recommends cutting funding for Planned Parenthood, reigniting old debate". washingtonpost.com.
  56. Board, Editorial (February 20, 2016). "The Planned Parenthood witch hunt" via washingtonpost.com.
  57. The Times Editorial Board (July 25, 2016). "Congressional witch hunt for 'baby body part' sellers needs to end". LA Times.
  58. Armario, Christine (July 29, 2015). "Court bars anti-abortion group from releasing new videos". Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015.
  59. "StemExpress wins court order in video flap with anti-abortion group". Sacramento Business Journal. July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  60. "Restraining order issued against anti-abortion group's video". The Exponent Telegram.[ permanent dead link ]
  61. 1 2 3 Scott, Eugene (August 25, 2015), Anti-Planned Parenthood group releases latest video after judge lifts restraining order, CNN, retrieved August 26, 2015
  62. Byrnes, Jesse (August 4, 2015). "Judge Extends Block on New Planned Parenthood Videos". The Hill. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  63. Wilson, Teddy (August 25, 2015), Anti-Choice Group's Latest Video Misleads on 'Intact' Fetuses, RH Reality Check, retrieved August 26, 2015
  64. "Courts rule Daleiden must turn over documents, video footage". Politico. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  65. Martinez, Jack (December 5, 2015). "Supreme Court Weighing In on Planned Parenthood Videos". Newsweek.com. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  66. Dinzeo, Maria (September 3, 2019). "Criminal Hearing Begins Over Undercover Video by Abortion Foes". courthousenews.com. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  67. Dinzeo, Maria (September 16, 2019). "Abortion Foe Defends Secret Taping as Investigative Work". courthousenews.com. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  68. Iovino, Nicholas (October 31, 2019). "Anti-Abortion Foe Grilled on Motives for Secretly Videotaping Doctors". courthousenews.com. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  69. "Planned Parenthood: A terrified business partner abandons the organization". Los Angeles Times . August 18, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  70. "Archived copy" (PDF). selectpaneldems-energycommerce.house.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 6, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  71. "Science in the Crosshairs". Science Friday. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  72. Eugene Gu; Cate Dyer (2016). "Fetal tissue: US panel risks infant and researcher lives". Nature. 535 (7610): 37. Bibcode:2016Natur.535...37G. doi: 10.1038/535037c . PMID   27383974.
  73. "How House Republicans Derailed A Scientist Whose Research Could Save Lives". The Huffington Post. November 3, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  74. Topulos, George P.; Greene, Michael F.; Drazen, Jeffrey M. (August 12, 2015). "Planned Parenthood at Risk". The New England Journal of Medicine . 373 (10): 963. doi:10.1056/NEJMe1510281. PMID   26267451.
  75. "Lawmakers Knew About Planned Parenthood Video Weeks Ago (Video)". Rollcall.com. July 16, 2015. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  76. "Coincidence ... or Is It? Planned Parenthood 'Sting' Video Isn't First to Derail Legislation". Yahoo Health. July 17, 2015.
  77. Brianna Ehley (July 22, 2015). "Republicans offer legislation defunding Planned Parenthood". POLITICO.
  78. 1 2 Selyukh, Alina (July 26, 2015). "Rand Paul plans to keep pushing to defund U.S. Planned Parenthood". Reuters.
  79. New Orleans and Baton Rouge clinics, Accessdate August 12, 2015
  80. 1 2 Solomon, Dave (August 6, 2015). "New Hampshire Cuts Planned Parenthood Funding". Governing. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  81. 1 2 "Alabama Gov. Defunds Planned Parenthood". U.S. News & World Report. Associated Press. August 7, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  82. Fram, Alan. "John Boehner calls for investigation into whether Planned Parenthood is selling organs". Business Insider UK. Associated Press. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  83. Pulliam Bailey, Sarah (July 28, 2015). "How the Planned Parenthood videos set off a renewed wave of activism on abortion". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  84. Bassett, Laura (July 29, 2015). "Mitch McConnell Says 'Women's Health' Five Times In Attempt To Defund Planned Parenthood". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  85. Fox, Maggie (August 3, 2015). "Senate Votes Down Plan to Strip Planned Parenthood Funds". NBC News. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  86. Roberts, Dan (August 3, 2015), "Republicans' Planned Parenthood defunding push fails in the Senate", The Guardian , retrieved August 3, 2015
  87. Walsh, Deirdre (August 3, 2015), Senate vote to defund Planned Parenthood fails, CNN, retrieved August 3, 2015
  88. "Senate blocks Planned Parenthood defunding measure". Reuters. August 3, 2015.
  89. Ferris, Sarah (September 18, 2015). "House votes to freeze federal funding for Planned Parenthood". The Hill. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  90. Fram, Alan (September 18, 2015). "House OKs Republican bill blocking Planned Parenthood funds". Yahoo News. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  91. Chappel, Bill (September 18, 2015). "House Approves Bill To Cease Funding Planned Parenthood". NPR. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  92. Cohen, David S. (September 28, 2015). "Congress violates Constitution with Planned Parenthood vote". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  93. 1 2 3 Kreutz, Liz (July 29, 2015). "Hillary Clinton Calls Planned Parenthood Videos 'Disturbing'". ABC News. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  94. 1 2 CNN transcript of GOP Presidential Debate. Aired September 16, 2015 - 20:10 ET, CNN, September 16, 2015, retrieved September 18, 2015
  95. 1 2 Carly Fiorina rips Planned Parenthood, CNN YouTube Channel, September 16, 2015, retrieved September 18, 2015
  96. 1 2 3 Carroll, Lauren (September 17, 2015), At CNN debate, Carly Fiorina urges others to watch Planned Parenthood videos, PolitiFact.com , retrieved September 18, 2015
  97. Alan Rappeport, Carly Fiorina Said to Exaggerate Content of Planned Parenthood Videos, The New York Times (September 17, 2015).
  98. "White House says would oppose Congress defunding Planned Parenthood". Reuters. July 30, 2015.
  99. "Governor Jindal Announces the Termination of Medicaid Contract with Planned Parenthood". Office of the Governor. August 3, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  100. "Justice Department sides with Planned Parenthood against Bobby Jindal". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. September 1, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  101. Kaufman, Scott Eric (August 4, 2015). "Bobby Jindal terminates Planned Parenthood funding over impossible concerns raised by hoax videos". Salon. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  102. Frandsen, Tiffany (September 16, 2015), "Karrie Galloway of Planned Parenthood Association of Utah. President/CEO confident new funding will be found", Salt Lake City Weekly , retrieved September 19, 2015
  103. Steve Benen. "Obama admin warns states on Planned Parenthood defunding". MSNBC. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  104. Armour, Stephanie (August 12, 2015). "States Warned Over Ending Medicaid Funds for Planned Parenthood". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  105. "CSU Caught Up In Sale Of Fetal Tissue Controversy". CBS 4 Denver. July 30, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  106. Turkewitz, Julie; Healy, Jack (November 27, 2015). "3 Are Dead in Colorado Springs Shootout at Planned Parenthood Center". The New York Times . Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  107. "Death of UCCS police officer in Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting confirmed". Colorado Springs Gazette . November 28, 2015. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  108. Shoichet, Catherine E.; Stapleton, AnneClaire; Botelho, Greg (November 27, 2015). "Colorado Planned Parenthood shooting: 3 dead, suspect captured (updated)". CNN. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  109. Paul, Jesse; Steffen, Jordan; Ingold, John (November 27, 2015). "Planned Parenthood shooting: 3 killed, including 1 police officer in Colorado Springs". The Denver Post . Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  110. 1 2 "Robert Dear, Suspect in Colorado Killings, 'Preferred to Be Left Alone'". The New York Times. November 29, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  111. "Colorado shooting suspect said 'no more baby parts': reports". Reuters.
  112. "Planned Parenthood shooting: Suspect said 'no more baby parts'". BBC News.
  113. Wesley Lowery (November 28, 2015). "No more baby parts, suspect in attack at Colo. Planned Parenthood clinic told official". The Washington Post.
  114. "Hundreds protest outside Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic". KRDO. Archived from the original on November 29, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  115. Lance Hernandez; Marc Stewart. "Local Planned Parenthood denounces new video allegedly showing talk of selling fetal tissue". 7NEWS. Archived from the original on November 29, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  116. "Still A Red-Hot Topic, Abortion Debate Spotlight Shines On Colorado". cbslocal.com. August 2015.
  117. "Attorney general: Planned Parenthood shooting a 'crime against women'". CNN. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  118. "Planned Parenthood Standoff Appears to Be Domestic Terrorism, Colorado Springs Mayor Says". ABC News. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  119. "Abortion rights groups: Political rhetoric contributed to shooting". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  120. "CMP Statement on Violence in Colorado Springs". centerformedicalprogress.org. November 28, 2015.
  121. "David Daleiden, Sandra Merritt charged in filming at Planned Parenthood". The Washington Times.
  122. Hamilton, Matt (March 29, 2017). "Two antiabortion activists behind undercover Planned Parenthood videos charged with 15 felonies". Los Angeles Times .
  123. Board, The Times Editorial (March 30, 2017). "Felony charges are a disturbing overreach for the duo behind the Planned Parenthood sting videos". Los Angeles Times .
  124. "SF judge deals setback to prosecutors in abortion sting videos". sfgate.com. June 22, 2017.
  125. Chiaramonte, Perry (November 13, 2017). "Planned Parenthood docs requested from Senate by FBI, signaling possible criminal probe". foxnews.com.