Final charges dismissed in California lawsuit against pro-life journalists.
California has reached a settlement with David Daleiden, the founder of the Center for Medical Advancement (CMP), and undercover journalist Sandra Merritt. In January 2025, they entered a “no contest” plea related to a video recording charge. Effectively, this plea is seen as a misdemeanor and later transformed to a “not guilty” stance before eventual dismissal.
Daleiden announced the dismissal on X after a decade-long legal struggle. He expressed relief, stating, “As promised, the final charges have been dropped and the case has been completely expunged,” referencing what he perceived as strange delays and a last-minute attempt by organizations to derail the agreement. He was grateful for his defense team, noting their significant effort in fighting a powerful interest group.
In the background, Daleiden and Merritt had released videos in 2015 that accused Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation of trafficking aborted fetal body parts. By 2017, California’s Department of Justice had pursued legal action against them for alleged violations of state recording laws. By the time of the 2025 settlement, many of the initial charges had already been dismissed.
Steve Cooley, who led the defense, criticized the California Attorney General’s office for what he called a retaliatory prosecution of those exposing unregulated practices within the abortion industry.
Sandra Merritt highlighted that the plea deal marked the end of “unjust criminal cases” without any penalties, noting it was unprecedented for California to prosecute an undercover journalist under similar circumstances.
Amidst this, California Attorney General Rob Bonta framed the 2025 plea as a victory for pro-choice advocates and publicly criticized prior administration pardons for pro-life activists. He stated that his office remains committed to ensuring access to reproductive health services.
Breitbart News attempted to contact Bonta’s office for comments, but received no response.
The recordings released by CMP included secretive conversations with abortion providers discussing potential profit from fetal tissue. In 2016, Planned Parenthood’s claims upon investigation led to them referring the matter to federal authorities.
Planned Parenthood has consistently denied the allegations, insisting the footage was misleadingly edited. They later issued a policy statement asserting they would not accept reimbursement for fetal tissue donation.
Notably, Kamala Harris, formerly the California attorney general who ordered the investigation into Daleiden and Merritt, faced scrutiny regarding a possible conflict of interest due to her close ties with abortion advocacy groups. Her administration collected extensive evidence during the investigation.
There were significant repercussions for Daleiden, including a police raid on his home. He described a deeply invasive search that confiscated years of personal data amidst a politically charged atmosphere.
Ultimately, Daleiden’s work led to various legal actions, including a significant penalty imposed on certain bioscience companies for their involvement in the sale of fetal tissue.
As for the future, the implications of this case could resonate as it raises questions about investigative journalism in sensitive areas like reproductive health. The dynamics surrounding this case are complex and deeply intertwined with ongoing national debates over abortion and rights related to it.
