Attorneys General from several states are filing an amicus brief in the Northern California District Court next week during the initial injunction hearing, aimed at unsealing over 500 hours of video footage for state review.
The National Abortion Federation v. Center for Medical Progress case has been in dispute since CMP first released footage of their findings at Planned Parenthood clinics across America. Several doctors representing Planned Parenthood appeared to admit to being involved in a scheme that purportedly bought and sold parts of aborted fetal specimens. The sale of human body parts is illegal under federal law.
This renewed effort by states comes after the District Court issued a restraining order that barred the undercover footage obtained by the Center for Medical Progress from being released publicly. Several states including Alabama, Arizona, Michigan, and Oklahoma, have requested access the sealed tapes to see if any unlawful activity took place in their respective states. To this point, the Court has been unwilling to facilitate their requests, only allowing footage to be released that has been reviewed and approved by the Plaintiff.
While many media outlets have already concluded that the sealed footage is “discredited,” some have questioned why the Federal Court system and the NAF are so unwilling to allow law enforcement officials at the state level to review the remaining 500 hours of footage.
FPIW is urging Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson to ensure that no laws were broken in Washington State. You can sign our petition to Attorney General Bob Ferguson at this link.
