Pro-life activist and independent journalist David Daleiden is celebrating a major legal win after a lengthy nine-year battle with the state of California. Last week, Daleiden and his associate Sandra Merritt reached a “no-contest” plea deal on a single charge related to their undercover investigation into Planned Parenthood’s alleged trafficking of fetal tissue, sparking national controversy in 2015. Despite initially facing up to 15 felony charges, the pair will face no prison time, fines, or other penalties, marking what Daleiden called an “incredible” victory in a case he believes was politically motivated from the start.
“I’m very happy the California Attorney General’s office has decided to walk away with nothing after nine years of pursuing this case very vigorously, very viciously, and very selectively,” Daleiden told Fox News Digital. “This is an absolute win for the pro-life movement.”
The case stemmed from explosive undercover videos released by Daleiden’s organization, the Center for Medical Progress (CMP), in 2015. The videos allegedly showed Planned Parenthood officials negotiating the sale of aborted fetal tissue, which would violate federal law regarding the handling of fetal remains. The release of these videos led to state and federal investigations into Planned Parenthood and brought national attention to the abortion provider’s practices.
However, Daleiden’s pursuit of truth through investigative journalism was met with severe backlash from pro-choice advocates, especially in California, where the state’s Attorney General’s office began pursuing felony charges against him and Merritt. In 2016, under then-Attorney General Kamala Harris, California authorities raided Daleiden’s home, a move that raised questions about Harris’ close ties to Planned Parenthood, which has been a major political donor to her campaigns.
The legal battle continued under Harris’ successor, Xavier Becerra, who filed 15 felony charges against Daleiden and Merritt in 2017. Despite the efforts of the California legal system, including extensive prosecution and media scrutiny, the case collapsed without significant legal consequences for the journalists involved. In fact, the plea deal reached last week was a far cry from the initially aggressive legal pursuit, where prosecutors had sought harsh penalties and jail time.
Daleiden framed the prosecution as an attempt to silence dissenting voices and to protect a highly controversial industry. “They were prosecuting speech, not a crime,” he said. “This was about suppressing a message—an important pro-life message that exposed wrongdoing. The whole point of this case was to try to discredit my work and stop the public from seeing the truth.”
As Daleiden points out, this case is the “first and only” time the state’s Attorney General’s office has pursued charges against an undercover journalist under its recording law, highlighting the politically charged nature of the case.
After the emotional and financial toll of nearly a decade in legal battles, Daleiden lauded the outcome, saying, “They tried to use lawfare to cover up the videos, to cover up wrongdoing at Planned Parenthood, and to keep taxpayers funding the late-term abortion industry and experiments on aborted babies. And they’ve failed.”
Interestingly, the legal settlement comes at a time when the pro-life movement has gained renewed momentum under the Trump administration. Last week, former President Donald Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy, which blocks taxpayer dollars from funding NGOs involved in promoting or performing abortions overseas. Additionally, Trump signed an executive order to enforce the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding for elective abortions. For Daleiden, these actions signal a shift toward greater support for the pro-life cause, and he expressed hope for further action in the future.
“Finally, we’re starting to see justice where the federal government is divesting from its sponsorship of the abortion industry,” Daleiden said. “It’s incredible to see the results of what so many people have been working for.”
As the legal battle concludes, Daleiden is determined to keep pressing forward with his work. “I’m really happy that all the work I’ve done is still out there, and that these videos are still having an impact. I feel like we’ve won the battle, but the fight for life continues,” he said.
Great article.
Thank you for this.
Very encouraging.