Big Abortion’s Demonization of David Daleiden Continues

Big Abortion knows how to rake in the money. It also knows how to play the victim.

This week, it did both and secured a major victory against David Daleiden, founder of the Center for Medical Progress, who produced the undercover videos that exposed how abortionists have been profiting from the trafficking of body parts and tissue taken from aborted babies. The pro-life activist and two of his criminal defense attorneys have been found in contempt of court after more CMP video was released earlier this year.

The Life Legal Defense Foundation, which has been providing legal aid to Daleiden and his “co-conspirator,” Susan Merritt, issued the following statement regarding the California court decision:

Yesterday Judge William Orrick held David Daleiden, the Center for Medical Progress and two of David’s criminal defense attorneys in civil contempt for violating a court order prohibiting the release of video footage related to NAF conferences and related meetings. The footage was posted to a private website in May.

Daleiden’s criminal defense attorneys argued that the videos are essential to providing David with a robust public defense after California Attorney General Xavier Beccera charged Daleiden and Sandra Merritt with 15 felony counts of eavesdropping. The first set of charges were dismissed by San Francisco Superior Court Judge Christopher Hite in the criminal case for lack of specificity. Beccera recently amended and refiled the charges, this time including the file names of certain videos. However, the charges still do not name the individuals involved in the conversations during which Planned Parenthood doctors and other abortionists discuss the sale of fetal body parts for profit.

Judge Orrick’s contempt order awards approximately $137,000 to the National Abortion Federation for attorney fees and for alleged staff time to scour the internet looking for links to the Daleiden videos.

On a positive note, Judge Hite was receptive to arguments that the amended charges against Susan Merritt were not properly filed. An update will follow as soon as we know whether these charges will be dismissed.

Life Legal executive director Alexandra Snyder said that ever since the first CMP video was released two years ago, Big Abortion has been “waging a vicious campaign to punish” Daleiden. By demonizing him, she said, they hope to “permanently silence” him.

“As always, the abortion cartel is furious that its trade in baby body parts and its willingness to violate laws that protect pre-born babies from gruesome abortion procedures are being exposed,” she added. {eoa}