Undercover journalist who battled California over Planned Parenthood videos celebrates 'incredible' outcome

A pro-life activistic and writer who secretly recorded videos of Planned Parenthood officials allegedly negotiating the merchantability of aborted fetal insubstantial is celebrating aft settling with the authorities of California and walking distant without immoderate situation clip oregon fines.

"The California Attorney General's office, aft 9 years of pursuing this lawsuit precise vigorously, precise viciously and precise selectively, is walking distant with nothing," Center for Medical Progress (CMP) laminitis and autarkic writer David Daleiden told Fox News Digital.

Last week, Daleiden and his subordinate Sandra Merritt agreed to a "no-contest" plea woody connected a azygous charge, resulting successful nary fines oregon situation sentences, successful an result Daleiden called an "incredible" victory. California prosecutors had astatine 1 constituent pursued up to 15 felony counts.

The charges stem from explosive undercover videos released by CMP successful 2015, allegedly showing Planned Parenthood figures discussing the alleged merchantability of fetal tissue, a usurpation of national law. The videos triggered authorities and federal investigations into the allegations against the termination giant.

CALIFORNIA ‘LAWFARE’ CASE AGAINST PRO-LIFERS FIRST BROUGHT BY KAMALA HARRIS ENDS AFTER NINE YEARS

David Daleiden, laminitis of The Center for Medical Progress, spoke to Fox News Digital astir California's prosecution against him implicit Planned Parenthood videos coming to an extremity past week. ( Charles Ommanney/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

In April 2016, nether then-attorney wide Kamala Harris, California authorities raided Daleiden's home for evidence, prompting questions astir Harris' narration with Planned Parenthood, which has donated to her campaigns and galore different Democrats. 

The state's lawsuit against Daleiden continued nether Harris' successor, Xavier Becerra, who filed 15 felony charges against Delaiden and Merritt successful 2017 implicit the concealed recordings. 

Daleiden claimed that his lawsuit was the "first and only" clip the authorities lawyer general's bureau had pursued a lawsuit against an undercover writer nether its signaling law.

"It's truly a lawsuit of viewpoint favoritism and weaponization of the law" to "silence" pro-life voices, helium argued. 

"They were prosecuting speech, not a crime. They tried to enactment an asterisk adjacent to my sanction and enactment to effort to discredit maine and forestall the connection from getting out. And I consciousness similar astatine this point, we were capable to bushed the asterisk due to the fact that the videos are inactive retired there," Daleiden added.

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ST. PAUL, MN. - MARCH 2024: Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to the media aft touring Planned Parenthood. (Getty Images)

As the state's lawsuit against Daleiden comes to a close, the pro-life activistic acknowledged the past near-decade successful tribunal has been difficult, but he's been grateful for the enactment he's received and views the colony arsenic a "huge victory."

"They tried to usage lawfare to screen up the videos, to screen up wrongdoing astatine Planned Parenthood, to unit taxpayers to proceed sponsoring the late-term termination manufacture and experiments connected aborted babies afterward. They tried to bash each of that, and I deliberation they've failed," helium said.

"But it's decidedly hard for 9 years surviving with that unreality implicit you, trying to enactment with that asterisk adjacent to your enactment and successful a jurisdiction similar San Francisco and California, it's similar trying to combat with 1 manus tied down your backmost the full time. So it was a hard happening to spell through, but I'm really, truly blessed that it was each worthy it."

The activistic and writer sees anticipation connected the skyline for the pro-life question with actions already taken by President Donald Trump's administration.

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On January 24, President Donald Trump signed an enforcement bid reinstating the "Mexico City Policy." (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Last week, Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy, which forbids payer dollars going to money nongovernmental organizations oregon programs "that enactment oregon enactment successful the absorption of a programme of coercive termination oregon involuntary sterilization."

Trump besides issued an enforcement bid enforcing the Hyde Amendment, which prevents national backing of elective abortions, and the HHS announced it would beryllium reevaluating each programs, regulations and guidelines to marque definite they comply with the Hyde Amendment.

"Finally, we're starting to spot justness that the national authorities is going to divest from its sponsorship of the termination industry," Daleiden told Fox News Digital. "It's truly unthinkable to spot the results of what truthful galore radical person been moving for truthful agelong now."

In a statement, California State Attorney General Rob Bonta said of the plea statement with Daleiden, "While the Trump Administration is issuing pardons to individuals convicted of harming reproductive wellness clinics and providers, my bureau is securing transgression convictions to guarantee that Californians tin workout their law rights to reproductive healthcare."

"We volition not hesitate to proceed taking enactment against those who endanger entree to termination attraction — whether by signaling confidential conversations oregon different means," helium said.

Pro-life activistic and autarkic writer David Daleiden is celebrating his colony statement with the authorities of California, which resulted successful nary situation clip oregon fines. (Bob Levey, File)

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Daleiden and Merritt's plea statement with the authorities of California requires nary interaction with victims, nary nationalist recognition of them, and compliance with each laws, including restrictions connected recording, according to Bonta's office.

Planned Parenthood has antecedently criticized the CMP videos arsenic "highly edited" and "deceptive," claiming they were procured successful a "fraudulent" and "illegal" manner. 

Kamala Harris and Planned Parenthood did not respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment. 

Fox News' Jamie Joseph contributed to this article.