Life Legal Defense Foundation continues to defend pro-life advocate David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood’s relentless attacks, filing a motion Thursday to protect his freedom of speech in his home state of California.
Daleiden, leader of the Center for Medical Progress, uncovered the shocking evidence that Planned Parenthood was selling the parts of aborted children. After releasing this evidence through a series of YouTube videos, young Daleiden has been under constant attack, including a lawsuit from Planned Parenthood.
Life Legal Defense filed an “anti-SLAPP” motion on May 5. In a recent press release, the pro-life legal group explained the motion and strategy behind it:
Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP), is a lawsuit designed to chill speech by inflicting the expense and burden of litigation on the defending party. California law prohibits these types of lawsuits, as they violate the First Amendment.
SIGN THE PETITION: Drop the Charges Against David Daleiden and Charge Planned Parenthood
In this case, Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit for the sole purpose of silencing and punishing David for gathering information about Planned Parenthood’s sale of fetal body parts and then publishing his findings. The Center for Medical Progress published a series of videos proving Planned Parenthood’s practice of collaborating with fetal specimen brokers to secure payment and other valuable consideration, including disposal services, for the bodies of aborted babies. Planned Parenthood wants to punish David and his fellow investigators with crushing damages and attorney fee awards.
California’s anti-SLAPP law specifically protects free speech in connection with “an issue of public interest.” Planned Parenthood is a taxpayer-funded organization that holds itself out as a provider of free or reduced cost services for women. The public has a right to know what kinds of business practices Planned Parenthood is engaged in, especially when those practices are illegal.
Life Legal Defense is committed to defending David Daleiden from Planned Parenthood’s attacks. As the foundation’s Executive Director Alexandra Snyder articulated: “There is no question that Planned Parenthood is involved in the sale of aborted babies to fetal tissue brokers. The only reason for the lawsuit is to punish David Daleiden for exposing its practices and to deter others from taking on the abortion giant.”
The legal moves come after the pro-abortion California attorney general’s office raided Daleiden’s home. California Attorney General Kamala Harris oversaw the raid — but she has significant conflict of interest problems. She is funded by Planned Parenthood and her website recently promoted a petition for the abortion business.
Daleiden has been a target of abortion activists and their political friends ever since he released the first undercover video last summer showing a top Planned Parenthood official discussing the sale of aborted babies’ body parts. Since then, CMP has released a dozen undercover videos of the abortion giant’s employees and partner research groups, exposing their horrendous baby body parts trade.
“To storm into a private citizen’s home with a search warrant is outrageously out of proportion for the type of crime alleged. It’s a discredit to law enforcement, an oppressive abuse of government power,” said Matt Heffron a former federal prosecutor in Phoenix, Arizona, and now a legal adviser to David Daleiden.
Earlier this year, a Texas grand jury whose task was to investigate Planned Parenthood turned on the pro-life citizen journalist instead. The grand jury indicted Daleiden and another pro-life activist, Sandra Merritt, behind the videos. Instead of prosecuting Planned Parenthood for selling aborted baby parts, Daleiden was indicted for buying them. If convicted, Daleiden faces 20 years in prison while Planned Parenthood officials face no legal consequences for their actions.
Daleiden rejected a plea deal in April, and his attorney said he demands an apology from the Texas district attorney who filed the bogus charges.
