California Ends Nine-Year Legal Battle Over Undercover Abortion Footage

Journalists who recorded Planned Parenthood discussions on fetal tissue practices reach plea deal with no fines or prison time.

David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, who released undercover videos in 2015 alleging fetal tissue sales by Planned Parenthood, settled with a no-contest plea to a single misdemeanor charge.
The case, initiated in 2016 by then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris, originally included 15 felony charges, many of which were later dismissed.
Critics, including Daleiden's defense team, called the prosecution a politically motivated attack on investigative journalism, citing Harris's ties to abortion organizations.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta framed the plea deal as a victory for reproductive healthcare rights, emphasizing the state's commitment to protecting access to abortion services.
Planned Parenthood has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the videos were misleadingly edited, though the organization changed its tissue donation reimbursement policy after the footage's release.