Two anti-abortion activists who allegedly made undercover videos of Planned Parenthood employees selling aborted fetal tissues were indicted Monday by Grand jury members in Houston, Texas. Planned Parenthood, as an organization, has been cleared of this issue. The videos in question caused a fury because they provoked outrage among Republican leaders nationwide.
Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said in a statement the founder of the Center for Medical Progress, David Daleiden, was indicted on a felony charge of tampering with a governmental record and a misdemeanor count related to purchasing human organs, reports Fox News. Another center employee, Sandra Merritt, also was indicted on a charge of tampering with a governmental record.
The center had released several secretly recorded videos that accused Planned Parenthood of selling fetal tissue for profit, which is illegal. Republicans in Congress last summer unsuccessfully called for cutting off funding for the organization.
"We were called upon to investigate allegations of criminal conduct by Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast," Anderson said. "As I stated at the outset of this investigation, we must go where the evidence leads us. All the evidence uncovered in the course of this investigation was presented to the grand jury. I respect their decision on this difficult case."
The Center for Medical Progress is the anti-abortion group that released covertly shot videos of Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of aborted fetuses for research.
Planned Parenthood officials swiftly hailed the indictment
"These anti-abortion extremists spent three years creating a fake company, creating fake identities, lying, and breaking the law. When they couldn't find any improper or illegal activity, they made it up," Eric Ferrero, Vice President of Communications for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement.
"As the dust settles and the truth comes out, it's become totally clear that the only people who engaged in wrongdoing are the criminals behind this fraud, and we're glad they're being held accountable," Ferrero said.
