Charges: Videographers used fake IDs to infiltrate Planned Parenthood

Timeline: Planned Parenthood versus the Center for Medical Progress



While abortion opponents have had Planned Parenthood in their sights for years, attacks on the organization have been particularly effective following the release of a controversial series of undercover videos in the summer of 2015 produced by an anti-abortion group.



Sources: Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, Politifact, NPR, Harrisburg Patriot-News, Governing.com, Salt Lake City Weekly, Houston Chronicle

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While abortion opponents have had Planned Parenthood in their sights for years, attacks on the organization have been particularly effective ... more Photo: Michael Paulsen, Staff Photo: Michael Paulsen, Staff Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close Charges: Videographers used fake IDs to infiltrate Planned Parenthood 1 / 24 Back to Gallery

The videographers who secretly filmed Houston Planned Parenthood officials discussing fetal tissue used fake driver's licenses to infiltrate the organization, according to charging documents filed Monday in Harris County.

David Robert Daleiden, of San Jose, Calif., and Sandra Susan Merritt, of Davis, Calif., each used a different California driver's license "with knowledge of its falsity...and with the intent to defraud and harm another," according to the documents, which were filed in 338th Criminal Court.

Daleiden is a prominent anti-abortion activist and thus likely had to use a fake name to be allowed into the Planned Parenthood clinic in Houston last April. He has said he posed as an employee of a tissue procurement company to talk with clinic executives.

THE BACKGROUND: Planned Parenthood cleared, but 2 indicted over videos

The documents were made available Tuesday, a day after Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson announced that a grand jury had indicted Daleiden and Merritt on charges of tampering with a governmental record, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Daleiden, the leader of the videographers, also was charged with the purchase or sale of human organs, presumably because he offered to buy to provoke Planned Parenthood into saying it would sell.

The charges stunned Republican state officials, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who last August called for a grand jury to probe Planned Parenthood after the videographers released footage they said proved Planned Parenthood had illegally sold the organs of aborted fetuses.

The grand jury found that Planned Parenthood had not committed any crimes.

EXPLAINER: What you need to know about the Planned Parenthood controversy

The group of videographers, known as the Center for Medical Progress, released a statement Monday denying any wrongdoing and comparing themselves to investigative journalists.

Journalists do not use fake driver's licenses in reporting, as the charging documents allege Daleiden and Merritt did when gaining access to Planned Parenthood last April.

Copies of the alleged fake driver's licenses, which were included in the documents, indicate that Daleiden presented himself as Robert David Sarkis and Merritt posed as Susan Sarah Tennenbaum.

More information was expected to be available later Tuesday.