The maker of undercover videos attacking Planned Parenthood has released new footage highlighting fetal tissue transactions between a biotech company called Da Vinci Biosciences and the group’s Orange County, Calif., affiliate.
The eight-minute video features a conversation between David Daleiden posing as a tissue buyer and Jennefer Russo, medical director of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, where the two discuss obtaining intact fetal organs.
In the footage, Russo discusses how her affiliate supplies aborted fetal body parts to Da Vinci. The video also features a taped telephone conversation with Da Vinci, where an associate says the company supplies many fetal products.
The footage is the first new material Daleiden has released in months, after a string of videos last summer that sparked a major battle on Capitol Hill over defunding Planned Parenthood. On Wednesday, a special panel assembled by Republicans to examine the collection and sale of fetal tissue will hold its first hearing.
The video also showed documents that appear to suggest Da Vinci charges $350 for fetal liver, $500 for fetal thymus and $750 for fetal brain.
Though his undercover investigation, Daleiden has sought to prove that Planned Parenthood profited off supplying fetal tissue to biomedical companies, something that would be illegal. There are no limits, however, to what biomedical companies can charge researchers in turn for the tissue.
Planned Parenthood has defended itself, saying it did nothing illegal. It has since banned its affiliates from getting compensated for fetal tissue.
