Lawyers for indicted anti-abortion activists want Planned Parenthood probe to continue

The Republican governor ended some contracts with the Utah branch of the organization after secretly recorded videos from an anti-abortion group showed Planned Parenthood officials in Texas and other states discussing fetal tissue from abortions.

But facts are increasingly getting in the way, most recently this week, when a Harris County grand jury cleared Planned Parenthood of any wrongdoing and instead returned indictments against two anti-abortion activists involved in producing the sting tapes.

“After a lengthy and thorough investigation by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, the Texas Rangers, and the Houston Police Department, a Harris County grand jury took no action Monday against Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast”, the Harris County District Attorney’s office said in a statement. Daleiden was additionally charged with a misdemeanor for violating Texas’ law prohibiting the purchase and sale of human organs, the same law Daleiden accused Planned Parenthood of violating. The grand jury did not vote on criminal charges against Planned Parenthood-but ultimately indicted David Daleiden, according to Planned Parenthood attorney Josh Schaffer, as reported by the Associated Press.

The defendants are expected to travel from California to Houston to turn themselves in. “Obviously, a runaway grand jury would do that”, Terry Yates, another defense lawyer said to justify his clients.

We completed our investigation and did not find any evidence that they were doing that.

“We’re not quite sure who’s going to pick up the slack”, she said.

“I think Planned Parenthood is great in some aspects, but I don’t agree with the abortion part of it”, Thompson said. He was charged with damaging a government record, because he allegedly created a fake driver’s license.

Media outlets such as LifeSiteNews have noted an assistant district attorney, Lauren Reeder, is a longtime Planned Parenthood supporter. Planned Parenthood has denied any wrongdoing, saying a handful of its clinics provided fetal tissue for research while receiving only permissible reimbursement for costs.

The Planned Parenthood Association of Utah says it has never participated in fetal donation programs.

Officials with the Center For Medical Progress did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While Ohio’s legislation does not specifically name Planned Parenthood, the bill’s sponsors have acknowledged that the organization will be the most affected and backers have pointed to the videos as reason to support the funding restrictions.

A Texas investigation into Planned Parenthood, which provides health services and abortions, on Monday culminated in an indictment – of the organization’s accusers, the Center for Medical Progress. What we already know is that the investigation was, in Anderson’s words, “lengthy and thorough”; that it was conducted by a respected Republican prosecutor; and that it was launched at the behest of Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a fierce opponent of abortion and of Planned Parenthood.

Herbert has said he was offended by the callousness of the discussion shown on the videos.

The judicial process will determine the validity of the charges against these two people.