Anti-Abortion Activists Indicted in Planned Parenthood Video Case

by Mark Richardson

HOUSTON – A Houston grand jury has indicted two anti-abortion activists who secretly filmed Planned Parenthood officials last year and then edited and released the videos.

The indictment charged David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt of the Center for Medical Progress with felony tampering with governmental records and a misdemeanor related to purchasing human organs. Heather Busby, director of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, said she believes the indictments vindicate Planned Parenthood and its staff.

“This confirms what we already knew: Planned Parenthood holds itself to the highest standard of care, they didn’t do anything wrong, and that anti-abortion activists will go to any lengths – including breaking the law – to try and disparage reproductive health-care providers,” she said.

The videos portrayed Planned Parenthood officials as plotting to sell fetal tissue, a charge Planned Parenthood consistently has denied. If convicted, Dalliden and Merritt could each face up to 20 years in prison. The Center for Medical Progress declined to comment on the indictments.

Busby said state officials, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, have used the videos in attempts to discredit Planned Parenthood and deprive the organization of state funds.

“Even though the evidence was not in their favor, our state leaders used these widely discredited videos to launch an all-out assault on reproductive health care and Planned Parenthood,” she said, “and used this as an excuse to go after access to reproductive health.”

Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said her office originally began investigating Planned Parenthood, but in her words, “evidence of wrongdoing” led to Daleiden, Merritt and the Center for Medical Progress.

State officials said Monday that despite the indictments, they will continue their investigation into Planned Parenthood.