A Texas investigation into Planned Parenthood took a bizarre twist that would have had even the most devout M. Night Shyamalan fans scratching their heads in confusion. A grand jury declined to indict PP, opting to bring charges against the pair of individuals claiming to expose the group the instead.
The grand jury announced criminal charges against The Center for Medical Progress' David Daleiden and activist Sandra Merritt, for their roles in creating the now-viral videos that were aimed at discredited the group, reported CNN. Specifically, the pair of abortion activists were indicted for tampering with a governmental record, a second-degree felony, while Daleiden was also indicted for prohibiting the purchase and sale of human organs, classified as a class A misdemeanor.
In a statement announcing the indictment, Harris District Attorney Devon Anderson declined to provide details on the charges.
"We were called upon to investigate allegations of criminal conduct by Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast," she said, according to ABC News. "As I stated at the outset of this investigation, we must go where the evidence leads us."
The indictment puts an end to a criminal probe into the abortion group. When announced last August, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R-Texas) accused the group of "dismembering aborted babies" and "selling babies fully intact."
"The people of America and the people of Texas will not accept this callous attitude toward human life, and I will not accept it," Patrick said during a press conference at the State Capitol in August, according to NBC's Texas affiliate KXAN-TV.
However, when all was said and done, jurors were unable to find evidence of illegal activity by Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, leaving the Center for Medical Progress at a complete loss.
"The Center for Medical Progress uses the same undercover techniques that investigative journalists have used for decades in exercising our First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and of the press, and follows all applicable laws," said a statement released on behalf of Daleiden.
"We respect the processes of the Harris County District Attorney, and note that buying fetal tissue requires a seller as well. Planned Parenthood still cannot deny the admissions from their leadership about fetal organ sales captured on video for all the world to see," the statement concluded.
On the other hand, Planned Parenthood officials lauded the indictments. "As the dust settles and the truth comes out, it's become totally clear that the only people who engaged in wrongdoing are the criminals behind this fraud," said Eric Ferrero, vice president of communications for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in a statement, according to USA Today.
"We're glad they're being held accountable," he concluded.
