David Daleiden (center) addresses the media with attorneys Jared Woodfill (left) and Terry Yates in Houston after turning himself in to authorities on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Bob Levey)
Investigators with the California Department of Justice on Tuesday raided the home of David Daleiden, the anti-abortion activist behind a series of undercover videos targeting Planned Parenthood, the activist said.
Authorities seized a laptop and multiple hard drives from his Orange County apartment, Daleiden said in an email. The equipment contained all of the video Daleiden had filmed as part of his 30-month project, “including some very damning footage that has yet to be released to the public,” he said.
A spokeswoman for California Attorney General Kamala Harris (D) said she could not comment on an ongoing investigation. But the raid confirms that California is among the states looking into possible criminal activity on the part of Daleiden and his organization, the Center for Medical Progress, which have been the center of controversy since releasing videos purporting to show that Planned Parenthood illegally sells fetal tissue for a profit.
Planned Parenthood has denied the allegations, and numerous state investigations have so far turned up no evidence of wrongdoing by the group. However, a Houston grand jury earlier this year indicted Daleiden in connection with fake driver’s licenses he used to gain access to Planned Parenthood facilities and abortion provider conferences.
Anti-abortion activist David Daleiden turned himself in to authorities on Feb. 4. He's indicted for his role in the secret Planned Parenthood recordings, and has been offered a probation deal. (Reuters)
The National Abortion Federation, a professional organization for abortion providers that was also targeted in Daleiden’s videos, lauded news of the raid.
“We fully support a thorough investigation into the activities perpetrated by David Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress,” president Vicki Saporta said in a statement. “As the evidence has shown in our case, he engaged in a long-running criminal conspiracy. His actions are not without consequences.”
Saporta said the videos have led to a spike in threats and violence against abortion clinics.
“David Daleiden’s lies are catching up with him,” Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Erica Sackin said in a statement. “The only people who engaged in wrongdoing are the extremists who broke multiple laws to spread lies about Planned Parenthood — and it looks like they’re finally being held accountable.”
Daleiden accused Harris, who is running for Senate, of mounting a politically motivated campaign against him. “We will pursue all remedies to vindicate our First Amendment rights,” he said in a statement.
Sandhya Somashekhar is the social change reporter for the Washington Post.
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