PP cleared; Abbot, Merritt charged
A Texas grand jury clears Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast of wrongdoing in an investigation launched last year under Gov. Abbott. The grand jury instead indicted two anti-abortion activists involved with covert videos about fetal tissue procurement. The activists, Daleiden and Merritt, have been charged with tampering with a governmental record. Daleiden has also been charged with violating a prohibition on the sale of human organs.
Court issues restraining order
The Los Angeles Superior Court issues a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Center for Medical Progress from releasing any video of three high-ranking StemExpress officials. Planned Parenthood provides StemExpress with fetal tissue. Center for Medical Progress leader:
StemExpress was using meritless litigation to cover up an illegal baby parts trade. The Center for Medical Progress follows all applicable laws in the course of our investigative journalism work.
A spokesman for StemExpress is:
grateful its rights have been vindicated in a court of law.
California Investigates videomakers
California Attorney General Harris announces a review of two undercover videos made by the Center for Medical Progress to discredit Planned Parenthood. The investigation is made at the request of four Democratic Congressmen. Harris’ office regulates charitable organizations and will use its authority to determine whether any violations were made by the Center in its creation of the videos.
We will carefully review the allegations raised in your letter to determine whether there were any violations of California law.
Texas $1.4 million fraud settlement
The organization agrees to settle a billing fraud claim made against it by the State of Texas.
Investigators determined that Planned Parenthood falsified material information in patients’ medical records in order to support fraudulent reimbursement claims.
However, Planned Parenthood’s spokesperson denies the fraud allegations and says the organization agreed to settle for practical reasons.
Continuing this litigation in the hostile environment for women’s health would have ensured a lengthy and costly process that would have distracted our energies and required us to share the private medical information of thousands of women.