A federal jury found an anti-abortion group led by activist David Daleiden caused substantial harm to Planned Parenthood by infiltrating abortion industry conferences to secretly tape abortion doctors and staff—and awarded punitive damages of $870,000, Courthouse News Service reported.
The jury also awarded Planned Parenthood and several affiliates approximately $478,000 in compensation for security costs and changes to its vetting procedures, and also found the defendants violated the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act—bringing the total verdict to $2.275 million.
In a statement sent to Windy City Times, Planned Parenthood Federation of America Acting President/CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said, "David Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress intentionally waged a multi-year illegal effort to manufacture a malicious campaign against Planned Parenthood. The jury recognized today that those behind the campaign broke the law in order to advance their goals of banning safe, legal abortion in this country, and to prevent Planned Parenthood from serving the patients who depend on us."
Starting in July 2015, the Center for Medical Progress leveled a series of claims against Planned Parenthood. Using multiple videos, the anti-abortion group made accusations about practices to facilitate the donation of fetal tissue for use in medical research at a small number of Planned Parenthood health centers.
