The California Superior Court has issued a restraining order to prevent the pro-life group Center for Medical Progress from releasing video footage of StemExpress staffers. CMP has released three previous videos that purport to depict the illegal sale of body parts harvested from aborted human fetuses.
CMP has stated that StemExpress pays Planned Parenthood for body parts, an action which is illegal according to federal human trafficking laws, according to Life Site News. Planned Parenthood says the fees paid to them are above board and within the bounds of the law. The videos that have been released, however, could be construed to show otherwise.
StemExpress asked for the restraining order. "We will continue to pursue all available legal remedies against CMP," said StemExpress in a statement, according to Life Site News. The restraining order is active until Aug. 19.
On Wednesday, before the restraining order was issued, three Congressional committees said they will investigate the claims about Planned Parenthood, according to the Associated Press. "When an organization monetizes an unborn child - and with the cavalier attitude portrayed in this horrific video - we must all act," Speaker of the House John Boehner said in a written statement.
"These outrageous claims are flat-out untrue," Planned Parenthood spokesman Eric Ferrero said on Wednesday, according to the AP.
"I think every provider has had patients who want to donate their tissue, and they absolutely want to accommodate them," Planned Parenthood senior director Deborah Nucatola said, according to MSNBC. "Because we're the target, we're not looking to make money from this. Our goal is to keep access available."
