Two activists who filmed undercover videos of Planned Parenthood charged with 15 felonies
The two antiabortion activists who mounted a hidden-camera investigation against Planned Parenthood officials have been charged with 15 felonies for violating the privacy of health-care providers by recording confidential information without their consent.
In announcing the charges against David Robert Daleiden and Sandra Merritt on Tuesday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the duo used manufactured identities and a fictitious bioresearch company to meet medical officials and covertly record the private discussions they initiated.
The right to privacy is a cornerstone of Californias Constitution, and a right that is foundational in a free democratic society, Becerra said. We will not tolerate the criminal recording of confidential conversations.
The charges marked a major turning point in a case that had drawn national attention from both sides of the abortion debate and led to investigations and no charges against Planned Parenthood in 13 states.
The court fight over the secretly recorded videos began in April 2015, when Daleiden and Merritt made site visits at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast headquarters, using fake names to portray themselves as a company interested in connecting Planned Parenthood health centers with research studies. The two antiabortion activists were actually affiliated with Daleidens little-known antiabortion nonprofit, the Center for Medical Progress.
Two activists who filmed undercover videos of Planned Parenthood charged with 15 felonies
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/03/28/two-activists-who-filmed-undercover-videos-of-planned-parenthood-charged-with-15-felonies/?tid=pm_national_pop&utm_term=.75ac3e4af375