US district Judge William Orrick blocked last Friday the release of videos of the conference among abortion providers. This is a big defeat for anti-abortion activists as the federal judge ruled that those controversial recordings contain "no evidence of actual criminal wrongdoing."
The judge detailed how the Centre for Medical Progress tailored the videos to make it look worst, according to a report by The Guardian. This anti-abortion organization also showed before the controversial recordings of Planned Parenthood workers. The annual conference that they now want to release was conducted by the National Abortion Federation.
According to the ruling, the anti-abortion group pushes for the release of the new footages to bring "Congressional hearings/investigation and political consequences" against Planned Parenthood. It also aims to put political pressure on the abortion practitioners. Just last Friday, the judge rejected Center for Medical Progress founder David Daleiden's claim that their acts against abortionists are considered investigative journalism.
"Defendants engaged in repeated instances of fraud, including the manufacture of fake documents, the creation and registration with the state of California of a fake company, and repeated false statements to numerous NAF representatives and NAF members in order to infiltrate NAF and implement their Human Capital Project," said Orrick in a report by The Recorder. The judge added that the videos that were posted before his prior temporary restraining order "have not been pieces of journalistic integrity, but misleadingly edited videos and unfounded assertions (at least with respect to the NAF materials) of criminal misconduct."
Meanwhile, Yubanet reported that Officials from Nevada, Florida, Kansas, Washington, Ohio, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan, Massachisetts, Missouri, Michigan, and South Dakota have concluded to clear the allegations that Planned Parenthood earned money from fetal tissue donations. Also, officials from California, Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, New Hamprshire, Minnesota, Colorado, and Virginia declined to investigate the issue claiming the lack of evidence means the organization is clear from wrongdoings.
Planned Parenthood filed a federal lawsuit last month against Daleiden for illegal conspiracy to prevent women from accessing safe and legal abortion services. Planned Parenthood has 650 health centers all over the US, making it the biggest provider of high-quality health care provider for women.
