Houston prosecutor has angered anti-abortion groups before

A Harris County grand jury’s decision Monday to clear Planned Parenthood on organ trafficking charges and instead indict its accusers gave the organization an emphatic victory sweetened by irony and vindication.

Anderson acknowledged in August that a prosecutor on her staff was a board member of the Houston Planned Parenthood clinic but said that person would not be involved in the grand jury case.

The Houston grand jury that indicted the two also investigated Planned Parenthood but concluded that the abortion provider committed no wrongdoing.

Daleiden’s secret videos, recorded with the aid of other Center for Medical Progress employees, showed Planned Parenthood officials willing – even eager – to discuss exchanging fetal remains for money, even to the point of potentially altering the method of abortion to preserve the desired organs. Ironically, the investigation was requested by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who was critical of Planned Parenthood.

“I personally use Planned Parenthood and I think that it’s so important”, one woman said. The grand jury cleared Planned Parenthood and instead indicted Daleiden.

Sam Brownback ordered the state to discontinue any future Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood. Soon after, 11 states launched investigations into Daleiden’s allegation that Planned Parenthood profits from the sale of aborted fetal tissue to medical researchers.

Daleiden issued a statement saying that his group “uses the same undercover techniques” as investigative journalists and follows all applicable laws.

The videos released last summer purported to show Planned Parenthood officials trying to negotiate prices for aborted fetal tissue.

Abbott said the indictments will not impact the state’s investigation, adding that Texas will “continue to protect life”. Her letter said one affiliate that offers tissue donations charges $60, while another collects no payment. Both have been charged with falsifying a government record, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison. Klieman contended that “the law may say there is – because we know that journalists have been able to go in undercover…So, his defense is, look, I used my First Amendment right”.

Planned Parenthood says it abides by a law that allows providers to be reimbursed for the costs of processing tissue donated by women who have had abortions.

“Six months after these revelations broke, Planned Parenthood still can not deny that the shocking and indicting words on the videos were spoken by its own senior level leadership”, he wrote. Joni Ernst, were willing to hold hostage the entire federal budget to avoid reimbursing Planned Parenthood for health services, including cancer screenings and birth control.

The Texas video was the fifth released by the Irvine, California-based Center for Medical Progress, which Daleiden founded.

But Hilder said grand jurors in Texas can now exercise more independence.

“We respect the processes of the Harris County district attorney and note that buying fetal tissue requires a seller as well”, he said.

Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson began that investigation last August, according to a spokesman, collaborating with law enforcement on a probe with subpoena power that stretched well into the fall.

Planned Parenthood sued Center for Medical Progress on January 14 in San Francisco federal court arguing that the people who recorded the videos acted illegally. Meanwhile, LifeSiteNews has created a petition called “Drop all charges against David Daleiden, investigate Planned Parenthood”.

Planned Parenthood, which on January 14 filed a civil suit against Daleiden and several alleged collaborators, called the indictment a vindication.

“You’re going to see greater independence of grand juries going forward, because you’re not getting individuals that are hand-picked and selected by the presiding judge, you’re getting a true cross-section of the community”, Hilder said.