Videographer Who Secretly Shot Planned Parenthood Videos To Turn Himself In

Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast

David Daleiden, founder of the anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress (CMP) and the cameraman behind a series of secretly recorded videos of Planned Parenthood staff members, will turn himself in to the Harris Country court Thursday morning, his lawyers said.

Daleiden, 27, was charged by a grand jury last week with tampering with a government record, and for "prohibition of the purchase and sale of human organs."

The grand jury was initially called to investigate Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, but upon finding "no evidence of wrongdoing," the grand jury charged Daleiden and his partner, Sandra Merritt, and warrants were issued for their arrest with a minimum of $10,000 bond each.

For three years, Daleiden and Merritt posed as representatives of a biomedical tissue procurement firm. They acquired fake government IDs and IRS status as a nonprofit organization for their fake organization. They met and exchanged emails with many Planned Parenthood employees around the country, all the while secretly filming and keeping records of their meetings.

Josh Schaffer, a Houston lawyer who represents Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast in the Harris County criminal investigation, told BuzzFeed News that he believes the charges stemmed from an email exchange between Daleiden and Planned Parenthood officials in Houston. In the email, Daleiden offered to buy fetal tissue for $1,600 per sample. Planned Parenthood did not respond, Schaffer said.

“The charges against David Daleiden are legally and factually baseless," Peter Breen, a lawyer representing Daleiden said in a statement. "David used standard undercover journalism techniques to catch Planned Parenthood staff agreeing to alter abortion procedures to get more intact organs and tissue from aborted babies, presumably without telling their patients."

Planned Parenthood used to donate fetal tissue to scientific research firms and take reimbursements for costs associated with procuring the tissue. It's illegal to buy or sell fetal tissue for profit.

Along with the announcement that Daleiden will present himself before Judge Brock Thomas of Harris County, CMP released a new secretly recorded video alleging to show a Planned Parenthood accountant using "gimmicks" to hide illegal sale of fetal tissue.

"Planned Parenthood's self-interested political maneuvers will never silence free speech or the citizen press," Daleidan said Wednesday. "The new video released today shows that no amount of half-baked barratry can conceal Planned Parenthood's barbaric harvesting and profiting off baby body parts."

LINK: Grand Jury Charges Videographers Who Shot Secret Planned Parenthood Video

LINK: Legal Problems Are Piling Up For The Activists Behind Abortion Videos

LINK: The Real Story Behind That Video Of An Abortion Doctor Discussing Harvesting Organs

from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/1JYxTvv