2 RIGHT-WING ACTIVISTS THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE
SO-CALLED CENTER FOR MEDICAL PROGRESS HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH
15 FELONIES IN CALIFORNIA.
NOW, IF THE CENTER FOR MEDICAL PROGRESS DOES NOT RING A BELL,
KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS WAS THE SAME PHONY ORGANIZATION THAT
POSED AS A MEDICAL ORGANIZATION, AND THEN PROCEEDED TO SECRETLY
FILMED CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE WORKING AT PLANNED PARENTHOOD.
THEN THEY PROCEEDED TO PUT OUT HEAVILY EDITED VIDEOS IN
2015, MAKING IT SEEM AS THOUGH PLANNED PARENTHOOD WAS
PROFITING FROM THE SALE OF FETAL PARTS.
OF COURSE THAT HAS BEEN DISPROVEN, THERE HAVE BEEN
INVESTIGATIONS OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN 13 SEPARATE
STATES, AND NONE OF THOSE INVESTIGATIONS HAVE FOUND ANY
WRONGDOING; HOWEVER, THE TWO ACTIVISTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS
ORGANIZATION ARE FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES IN CALIFORNIA.
THE TWO ANTI-ABORTION ACTIVISTS HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH 15 FELONY
COUNTS OF VIOLATING THE PRIVACY OF HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS BY
RECORDING, FINANCIAL INFORMATION WITHOUT THE CONSENT.
ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS, "ON 14 OCCASIONS BETWEEN OCTOBER
2013 AND JULY 2015,
DALEIDEN AND MERRITT FILM PEOPLE WITHOUT PERMISSION IN LOS
ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO AND EL DORADO COUNTY'S.
THE ACTIVISTS FACE A FELONY COUNT FOR EACH PERSON COVERTLY
RECORDED, AND AN ADDITIONAL DELEGATE ñ ONLY CHARGE FOR
CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY TO INVADE PRIVACY.
DAMN.
YEAH, SO THIS IS INTERESTING, BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT
PRIVACY LAWS BASED ON WHICH STATE YOU ARE IN.
SO, IN SOME STATES YOU CAN SECRETLY FILM OR REPORTABLE AND
IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO FACE TERMINAL CHARGES.
IN CALIFORNIA, THERE ARE SPECIFIC LAWS THAT AFFECT
INDIVIDUALS FROM BEING FILMED, OR AUDIOTAPED, OR WHATEVER,
WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT.
IN FACT, CALIFORNIA'S ATTORNEY GENERAL SAID THE FOLLOWING: "IN
ANNOUNCING THE CHARGES AGAINST DAVID ROBERT DALEIDEN AND SANDRA
MERRITT ON TUESDAY, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL ñ ATTORNEY
GENERAL XAVIER BECERRA SAID THE DUAL USE MANUFACTURED IDENTITIES
AND A FICTIONAL BY RESEARCH COMPANY TO MEET WITH MEDICAL
OFFICIALS..."
DAMN.
IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY ON THIS STORY?
I DON'T WANT TO DO THE HEAVY LIFTING ON COMMENTARY, I'M
EXHAUSTED.
EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OKAY.
MY FAVORITE COMIC FROM THIS IS DALEIDEN, WHO SAYS IT WAS NOT A
CRIME, IT WAS "CITIZEN JOURNALISM PAR EXCELLENCE."
HE'LL HAVE TO MAKE THAT ARGUMENT FROM INSIDE OF A JAIL CELL.
IT HAS GONE THAT FAR YET, BUT IT MAY HAPPEN.
THE REASON WE ARE LAUGHING IS BECAUSE, LOOK, IS THERE
UNDER CARTER ñ
IS THERE UNDERCOVER JOURNALISM WHERE THEY USE RECORDINGS?
YES.
1ST OF ALL, THEY USE IT IN STATES WHERE IT IS LEGAL, NOT
ILLEGAL, OOPS.
SECOND OF ALL, I'M NOT SURE I AGREE WITH CALIFORNIA'S LAW, BUT
IT EXISTS, AND YOU GUYS WERE NOT DOING JOURNALISM, YOU WERE DOING
SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC FOR A HATCHET JOB, AND THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT THESE FOLKS HAVE DONE MANY TIMES BEFORE.
THEY DID IT WITH ACORN.
THEY COME IN, THEY DO SOME SORT OF SECRET RECORDING, THEY DOCTOR
THE VIDEO, THEY DON'T TELL YOU THAT THEY DOCTOR THE VIDEO, AND
THEN THEIR FRIENDS IN CONGRESS USE THAT TO GO AND DEFUND ACORN,
AND DESTROY THE ORGANIZATION BECAUSE THEY WERE ACTUALLY
HELPING POOR PEOPLE.
SO THEY WERE PLANNING TO DO THE SAME THING PLANNED
PARENTHOOD, AND THEY ARE DOING IT RIGHT NOW.
REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS ARE TALKING ABOUT DEFUNDING PLANNED
PARENTHOOD, DONALD TRUMP IS TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, AND NO
MATTER HOW MANY TIMES THIS HAS BEEN DISPROVED, NO MATTER HOW
MAY TIMES IT HAS BEEN LOOKED AT AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL
AND THEY HAVE SAID THAT PLANNED PARENTHOOD DID NOTHING WRONG,
THESE GUYS DID SOMETHING WRONG AND THEY ARE BEING CHARGED
CRIMINALLY, TRUMP AND REPUBLICANS GO, NO I DON'T CARE.
BECAUSE ALL THEY NEEDED WAS A FIG LEAF TO GO WITH THIS
LIVE, IT IS NOT JOURNALISM, IT IS
THE OPPOSITE.