Planned Parenthood triumphant in Texas

Planned+Parenthood+president+Cecile+Richards+speaks+at+the+2012+Democratic+National+Convention.+In+Sept.+2015%2C+Richards+was+subject+to+a+Congressional+hearing+that+questioned+her+and+her+organization.+The+videos+made+by+the+Center+for+Medical+Progress+were+a+primary+reason+for+calling+the+meeting.

MCT Photo

Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards speaks at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. In Sept. 2015, Richards was subject to a Congressional hearing that questioned her and her organization. The videos made by the Center for Medical Progress were a primary reason for calling the meeting.

Since the anti-abortion organization Center for Medical Progress (CMP) released allegedly incriminating videos in early 2015, all eyes have been on Planned Parenthood. While the women’s health organization expected defeat, it was instead given a sweeping victory.

The videos released by the CMP showed supposedly secretly recorded footage of biotech representatives talking about the fetal tissue and organs they purchase form Planned Parenthood. In reality, the videos were staged. All of the representatives were actors and none of their accusations were true.

This revelation did not stop the pro-life movement from cashing in, however. The videos became ground for investigations, both local and national, with presidential candidate Carly Fiorina at the front of the charge. In one debate she described a scene that was never even portrayed in the videos.

Fiorina said “As regards [to] Planned Parenthood, anyone who has watched this videotape, I dare Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama to watch these tapes. Watch a fully formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking while someone says we have to keep it alive to harvest its brain.”

Eventually the issue made its way to a Houston grand jury. The jury’s original task was to investigate the misconduct of Planned Parenthood. To the surprise of everyone involved, they came out on the other side, investigating the CMP.

By the time of the hearing’s end, Planned Parenthood was cleared of all charges. Instead, the video makers were indicted for the second-degree felony of tampering with governmental record and the class A misdemeanor of the purchase and sale of human organs.

Planned Parenthood’s communications vice president, Eric Ferrero, said in a statement, “As the dust settles and the truth comes out, it’s become totally clear that the only people who engaged in wrongdoing are the criminals behind this fraud, and we’re glad they’re being held accountable.”

What is even more odd is that this ruling was made in a primarily Republican state, Texas, under Republican governor Greg Abbott and a Republican district attorney, Devon Anderson. The victory was an unexpected surprise for all involved.

On Hardball, Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards said, “I felt like finally justice will be done… I hear from young people all the time who are saying ‘I can’t believe that they’re trying to end access to basic healthcare.’”

Now that a court has officially ruled in Planned Parenthood’s favor, it is possible for the truth about the organization to finally rise above the lies that were drowning it.