Planned Parenthood’s national office files federal racketeering charges against the group responsible for a series of undercover videos featuring Planned Parenthood executives discussing fetal tissue donation.
Though the video features Planned Parenthood executives from all across the country, including from here in Texas, the organization filed its lawsuit against the Center for Medical Progress in California, because that’s where CMP and its alleged fake fetal tissue collection company was set up.
Beth Parker is Planned Parenthood’s Legal Affairs Director for the State of California and detailed why the group was filing the lawsuit.
“These individuals create a complex criminal enterprise. Three years ago they falsified information to the IRS and California’s Secretary of State to obtain non-profit status for CMP to raise tax-exempt dollars. They then create Biomax, with a fake address, fake brochures, fake website and fake purpose."
Attorney Amy Bomse is representing Planned Parenthood in federal court and explained to reporters why the organization is pursuing charges that are also used against individuals engaging in organized crime.
"This is a statute that is designed to hold accountable organizations or associations that engage in a pattern of illegal conduct, in other words those who are members of a criminal enterprise," Bomse explained.
Bomse says Planned Parenthood is seeking damages for the added costs of increased security and loss of federal grant money managed by some state governments, including Texas.
In an email response to the lawsuit, the CMP’s founder David Daleiden writes, "Game on." He goes on to say that he is looking forward to deposing all the CEOs, medical directors, and their co-conspirators who participated in what he calls Planned Parenthood's illegal baby body parts racket.
