The creator of the series of videos that exposed Planned Parenthood’s apparent practices of selling the body parts of aborted babies turned himself in to law enforcement officials in Houston.
With some pro-life supporters cheering him on outside, David Daleiden presented himself for fingerprinting following his indictment by a Harris County grand jury in what two pro-choice law professors have called a “stunning act of legal jujitsu.”
In the shocking turn of events, Daleiden – director of the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) – and his colleague Sandra Merrit were both indicted while Planned Parenthood was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Merrit turned herself in to authorities on Wednesday and posted $2,000 in bail, reports Lifesite News.
National pro-life leaders planned to present more than 100,000 signatures calling on District Attorney Devon Anderson to drop the charges against the journalists. Anderson has faced prior allegations of bias, as the Associated Press reported.
Prior to turning himself in, Daleiden thanked his supporters.
I think we all know that every day that goes by – that the Texas authorities do not prosecute Planned Parenthood for their illegal trade in baby parts – they are sending a message to the entire country that the state of Texas right now is open for business in baby body parts. But by your presence here today, you are all sending…a stronger message that the children of Texas and the children of Houston and their body parts are not for sale.
“I firmly believe that if we stay the course and stay together, we can bring about a day when there is no longer a price tag put on human life,” Daleiden concluded.
“David and his team did nothing wrong. They did not violate the laws of the state of Texas…the indictments are legally and factually baseless,” said Daleiden’s attorney, Peter Breen of Thomas More Society.
Breen continued:
At the same time, there are also very, very strong First Amendment concerns which have been raised by law professors who are pro-choice who said if we are going to be prosecuting whistleblowers, if we are going to be prosecuting undercover journalists, we are sending ourselves down a very, very dark path. None of us want to live in a country where journalists can be thrown in jail for decades merely for doing their job.
Breen discussed the fact that CBS’ episode of 60 Minutes last weekend opened with an undercover investigation.
Prior to turning himself in, Daleiden’s CMP released another video that appears to show how Planned Parenthood uses accounting gimmicks to hide profits created through the sale of body parts of aborted babies.
A financial benefit “is what staff and management need to see,” says an executive at the Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast facility in Texas in the video.
The videos have also shown Planned Parenthood’s apparent practice of altering the position of babies during abortion in order to harvest the most intact organs for sale.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn, chairman of the House’s Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives, said the new video footage is “deeply disturbing.”
Blackburn said in a statement:
The comments in this video by an employee of a large abortion provider are deeply disturbing and seem to demonstrate a willingness to obfuscate and hide their true intentions. The Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives is examining these issues and this new video, once again, raises more questions about the medical procedures and business practices used by entities involved in fetal tissue procurement. Our panel intends to follow the facts where they lead us.
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America – the largest pro-life youth organization in the nation – said in support of Daleiden:
David Daleiden has done nothing wrong. He is not a criminal. In fact, he exposed Planned Parenthood’s criminal practices using the same techniques that undercover journalists before him have used to uncover the truth. Planned Parenthood is a government contractor and taxpayers have every right to know what is going on behind closed doors since we are forced donors to the tune of over half a billion a year. Mr. Daleiden is a hero, not a criminal. Today, members of David’s own generation stood outside the Harris County Courthouse in solidarity with him. Students that we work with on a daily basis are inspired by David’s courage and heroism and are emboldened to follow in his steps and expose the abortion industry for the selling out of women, and their babies.
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