Texas Indicts Lying, Anti-Choice Video Makers, Not Planned Parenthood

A Texas grand jury investigated Planned Parenthood (PP) for two months and came up with indictments on Monday — of the dishonest video makers who tried to discredit the organization. Eleven states have investigated PP since the doctored tapes were released last year, but none of them has found wrongdoing on the part of the health organization.

the video makers face a felony indictment

Both David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, of the right-wing front group Center for Medical Progress, face charges.  Now the two are under indictment for a felony — ‘Tampering with a Governmental Record’. In addition, Daleiden was indicted for the misdemeanor charge of ‘Prohibition of the Purchase and Sale of Human Organs.’

The undercover videos supposedly showed that PP illegally profited from the sale of fetal tissue, with the purpose being to prompt states and the federal government to defund the organization. In order to bait PP and make the films, Daleiden actually offered to purchase human organs as he was recording his interactions. That level of stupidity was probably bound to lead to his indictment.

The Harris County District Attorney, Devon Anderson, released this statement, following Monday’s outcome:

“We were called upon to investigate allegations of criminal conduct by Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. As I stated at the outset of this investigation, we must go where the evidence leads us. All the evidence uncovered in the course of this investigation was presented to the grand jury. I respect their decision on this difficult case.”

Republican politicians shamelessly tried to take advantage of the videos’ lies to advance their agenda. In Congress, they launched no less than five investigations into PP. Their goal was to take away half a billion dollars in federal family planning funds — regardless of the huge numbers of constituents whose health, and sometimes lives, depend on the organization for basic healthcare.

Fading Presidential candidate Carly Fiorina stood on stage during a Republican debate and issued a bald-faced lie that the videos showed:

“… 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.”

When confronted later with the fact that there is no such scene in the tapes, Fiorina insisted that she had seen it on the hoax video herself.

The GOP no doubt thought that the investigation in Texas was a wrap. After all … Texas. What more does one need to say?

Gov. abbot is ready to perpetuate the video makers’ lies

Late on Monday, Texas Governor Greg Abbot was quick to jump into the fray, issuing this statement:

“The Health and Human Service Commission’s Inspector General and the Attorney General’s office have an ongoing investigation into Planned Parenthood’s actions. Nothing about today’s announcement in Harris County impacts the state’s ongoing investigation. The State of Texas will continue to protect life, and I will continue to support legislation prohibiting the sale or transfer of fetal tissue.” 

Okay. So what? Is anyone surprised that Abbot is ready to perpetuate the lies in order to further his political agenda? That’s the Texas most observers know.

Planned Parenthood is wrapping up events in its own way. On January 14th, the group slapped a federal lawsuit on the people who conducted the smear campaign against them. PP issued this statement:

“The civil lawsuit, filed in San Francisco, outlines how the defendants – including David Daleiden, Troy Newman, Albin Rhomberg, Sandra Merritt, Gerardo Lopez, Phillip Cronin, the Center for Medical Progress, and BioMax – engaged in a complex criminal enterprise to defraud Planned Parenthood and prevent the health care organization from providing preventive and reproductive health services to millions of women and men. The lawsuit charges that CMP, its leaders, and co-conspirators engaged in illegal conduct that includes violating the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO Act) and engaging in wire fraud, mail fraud, invasion of privacy, illegal secret recording, and trespassing.”

Daleiden, Merritt, and their fellow fraudulent video makers are just starting to realize that the hot water has risen up to their necks. Surprisingly, a Texas grand jury just played their honorable part.

Feature photo adapted from @daviddaleiden on Twitter and Wikimedia Commons.

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