Abortion Foe Says Calif. AG Raided His Home

(CN) - Anti-abortion activist David Daleiden says his house was raided Tuesday by agents with the California Department of Justice, who seized his personal information and video footage of Planned Parenthood staff allegedly arranging the sale of aborted fetal tissue.

"We cannot comment on an ongoing investigation," a representative with Attorney General Kamala Harris' office said.

Daleiden, who founded the Center for Medical Progress, wrote in a Facebook post: "Today, the California Attorney General's office of Kamala Harris, who was elected with tens of thousands of dollars from taxpayer-funded Planned Parenthood, seized all video footage showing Planned Parenthood's criminal trade in aborted baby parts, in addition to my personal information."

The post impugns the motives behind the seizure, adding, "Ironically, while seizing my First Amendment work product, they ignored documents showing the illicit scheme between StemExpress and Planned Parenthood. This is no surprise - Planned Parenthood's bought-and-paid-for AG has steadfastly refused to enforce the law against the baby body parts traffickers in our state, or even investigate them - while at the same time doing their bidding to harass and intimidate citizen journalists. We will pursue all remedies to vindicate our First Amendment rights."

Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress are at the center of several civil lawsuits in California brought by the National Abortion Federation and Planned Parenthood claiming that Daleiden and the center sent undercover activists to make recordings at their conferences. The videos purportedly show foundation and Planned Parenthood members arranging to sell fetal tissue to center members posing as representatives of the fake company Biomax Procurement Services.

Daleiden was also indicted in Texas earlier this year on charges he used fake government documents, for which he faces 20 years in prison.

Follow @MariaDinzeo

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit