The anti-abortion activist behind a series of undercover videos of Planned Parenthood took the Fifth Amendment in response to a series of questions in a California legal case.
David Daleiden, who works for the Center for Medical Progress, refused to answer questions about the activities surrounding a series of videos that described the abortion provider’s efforts on harvesting aborted fetal body parts.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee pointed out the denial. They have requested that Daleiden be brought before the committee.
Daleiden in a legal case in California was asked whether he or other activists broke any laws by creating fake driver’s licenses or other IDs in their undercover effort to expose Planned Parenthood.
The activists posed as employees of a fake biotech company to discuss with Planned Parenthood officials how the women’s health and abortion provider procures and gets reimbursement for fetal body parts.
The videos have sparked a congressional investigation into whether Planned Parenthood broke any laws. It is illegal to profit from the sale of aborted fetal tissue, but the organization claims it was reimbursed only for costs such as transportation.
Planned Parenthood recently announced that it would stop seeking reimbursements for fetal tissue donations.
Democrats have questioned whether the center was involved in potentially illegal activities to get the footage. They charge that Daleiden and the group may have broke the law in filing false documents with government agencies, falsely impersonating a business or soliciting charitable contributions under false pretenses.
The group did not immediately return a request for comment.
House Democrats also chided their Republican counterparts over the issue. They charge that prior witnesses who pleaded the Fifth Amendment had to go before the committee to do so.
“It is unclear why Republicans refuse to call Mr. Daleiden to do so here,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the top Democrat on the committee. “The one thing that is clear is that Republicans have a double standard in this investigation as they continue to attack and harass Planned Parenthood while giving Mr. Daleiden a pass.”
A committee aide told the Examiner that it is still reviewing all of the unedited footage from the center, a process that started on Wednesday. It will make a decision after reviewing the footage on whether to hold a hearing and call Daleiden to testify.
The aide added that the committee set up a viewing room so that Democratic staff can view the raw footage.
