Planned Parenthood sues activists who made undercover videos

Planned Parenthood has filed a federal civil lawsuit against the people and groups behind the widely discredited video smear campaign launched in 2015.

The leader of the Republican’s Planned Parenthood investigation said Thursday she stands behind the anti-abortion videomaker who is now facing a racketeering lawsuit from the group.

Planned Parenthood sued the Center for Medical Progress in federal court on Thursday over the group’s undercover videos showing medical officials discussing the sale of fetal body parts.

“The people behind this fraud lied and broke the law in order to spread malicious lies about Planned Parenthood”, said Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “We’re going on the offensive to expose this fraud for what it is and hold the people behind it accountable – in order to prevent further harassment of our patients and staff and protect access to the preventive and reproductive health care Planned Parenthood provides to millions of people each year”. Eight states have declined to investigate citing lack of evidence of wrongdoing.

The makers of the videos alleged that the footage revealed the Planned Parenthood was illegally profiting off its participation in fetal tissue donation programs.

CMP’s officers committed fraud against the IRS and California’s Secretary of State by applying for nonprofit, tax-exempt status for “Biomax”, a fictional tissue procurement company with fictional materials and credentials.

“Game on”, Daleiden told BuzzFeed News by email. “The express aim of the enterprise – which stretched over years and involved fake companies, fake identifications, and large-scale illegal taping – was to demonize Planned Parenthood, harass and intimidate its dedicated staff, and interrupt its operations, all with the ultimate goal of interfering with women’s access to legal abortion”. The videos, released last summer, led to several Congressional investigations and efforts to cease federal funding to PPFA, including most recently as part of a bill repealing that Affordable Care Act that President Barack Obama promptly vetoed. According to Planned Parenthood, the videos resulted in a “a nine-fold increase in threats and criminal activities against health centers”. Planned Parenthood officials have not decided how much money they’ll seek in damages, but announced it’s seeking compensatory, statutory and punitive damages, reported The Hill. “I look forward to deposing all the CEOs, Medical Directors, and their co-conspirators who participated in Planned Parenthood’s illegal baby body parts racket”.