Abortion industry insiders have conceded in court that their comments about the trade in the body parts of aborted babies captured in undercover videos really weren’t private.
The confirmation has come from witnesses in a hearing in San Francisco Superior Court on state charges against David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt. The two are accused of violating the state’s privacy laws by recording abortionists discussing their profit from baby body parts.
The undercover videos, some of which were recorded at the National Abortion Federation’s 2014 and 2015 abortion convention and trade shows, exposed Planned Parenthood’s involvement in harvesting and selling aborted baby body parts to companies such as StemExpress, which in turned re-sold the parts mostly to researchers.
The recordings capture Planned Parenthood executives haggling over the prices of body parts, picking through bloodied arms and legs of aborted babies in a pie tray, and discussing how to alter abortion methods to obtain better body parts for sale.
The two-week preliminary criminal hearing concerns 15 felony counts brought by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who has been linked to the abortion industry through public pledges of support.
Becerra accused the reporters of violating California’s strict privacy laws regarding making recordings, even though the videos often were made in public places such as restaurants and conferences.
The hearing is expected to determine whether there will be a full-blown trial. Since it is just a preliminary hearing, many of the abortion executives have been granted special anonymity by the court for now.
Cornering the market
Liberty Counsel, which is defending Merritt, said a video was played in court of the undercover journalists commissioned by the Center for Medical Progress talking with a Planned Parenthood doctor identified as “Doe 9” in a public restaurant.
“When questioned by the attorney general’s office, ‘Doe 9’ stated that StemExpress had cornered the Northern California market for baby body parts. However, ‘we have an affiliate in Orlando that goes to 20 weeks’ and they could expect to pay $30-$100 ‘per specimen,'” Liberty Counsel explained.
On cross examination, Liberty Counsel Vice President of Legal Affairs and Chief Litigation Counsel Horatio Mihet asked “Doe 9” whether she was concerned that the tape had been made public.
“When ‘Doe 9’ answered ‘yes,’ he presented her with a transcript of her deposition from Planned Parenthood’s civil case against the Center for Medical Progress, where she said, ‘I haven’t done anything wrong in the videos. It doesn’t matter to me if they’re released publicly.'”
Counsel Attorney Nicolai Cocis also questioned “Doe 3,” a retired late-term abortionist filmed at the 2014 National Abortion Federation’s conference, on the topic of passersby hearing the conversation.
According to Liberty Counsel, “Doe 3” stated “she did not feel the need to lower her voice or take privacy precautions at the conference.”
“Cocis played a clip of that video, pausing every time a stranger entered the frame. However, ‘Doe 3’ admitted that some people walking past may have been close enough to hear snippets.”
Political motivations
Liberty Counsel has charged that Becerra had political motivations for filing the counts against Daleiden and Merritt.
For example, he made a public pledge to “Stand with Planned Parenthood.”
The former attorney general and now senator, Kamala Harris, who began the case, has received $81,215 in campaign donations from the abortion industry, Liberty Counsel pointed out.
The defense counsel has argued in court that never before has the state of California prosecuted criminally a journalist for an undercover recording of public interest.
“Judge Christopher Hite of the Superior Court is presiding over the preliminary hearing and decreed that the names of the abortion providers who testify will be sealed during the prosecution,” Liberty Counsel said.
Earlier, a “Doe 7” admitted on video she was unconcerned that any other people may have heard her comments.
‘The heads that get stuck’
The videos, which are still available online, prompted some states to pull funding for abortionists and adopt new rules. The U.S. House and Senate investigated and sent referrals for criminal investigation to the Department of Justice.
But the abortionists responded with civil lawsuits against Daleiden and his organization. And they convinced Becerra to pursue state privacy violation charges.
Some videos that have not been released are to be aired for the first time in the hearing. The videos, taken at at National Abortion Federation meeting, were suppressed by a federal judge who has links to Planned Parenthood.
Here are two of the videos released by CMP:
One of the videos that has been suppressed by Judge William Orrick includes more details about the industry.
It was available only briefly online.
However, transcripts of comments by abortion executives have been preserved.
Lisa Harris, medical director for Planned Parenthood of Michigan: “Our stories don’t really have a place in a lot of pro-choice discourse and rhetoric, right? The heads that get stuck that we can’t get out. The hemorrhages that we manage.”
Susan Robinson of Planned Parenthood of Mar Monte in San Jose, California: “The fetus is a tough little object and taking it apart, I mean taking it apart, on day one is very difficult.’
Talcott Camp, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Reproductive Health Freedom Project: “I’m like oh my god! I get it! When the skull is broken, that’s really sharp. I get it, I understand why people are talking about getting that skull out, that calvarium.”
Deborah Nucatola, senior director of medical services at Planned Parenthood Federation of America: “You know, sometimes she’ll tell me she wants brain, and we’ll, you know, leave the calvarium in ’til last, and then try to basically take it, or actually, you know, catch everything, and even keep it separate from the rest of the tissue so it doesn’t get lost.”
Uta Landy, founder of the Consortium of Abortion providers for Planned Parenthood: “An eyeball just fell down into my lap, and that is gross.”
Her comment was followed by raucous laughter from the abortionists at the meeting of the National Abortion Federation.
In December 2015, the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives referred the Planned Parenthood Federation of American and six regional affiliates to the Department of Justice for criminal investigation.
Operation Rescue noted little attention was given to the issue under President Obama, but after Donald Trump moved into office, the investigations “appeared to show signs of life.”
See a CMP video about Planned Parenthood skirting federal law:
The “Lamborghini” executive:
Paying attention to who’s in the room when infants are born alive:
Altering abortion procedures:
Selling body parts a “valid exchange”:
