Grand jury indicts producers of Planned Parenthood videos

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A grand jury has indicted two anti-abortion activists who made undercover videos alleging Planned Parenthood illegally sold fetal tissue to researchers for a profit, and said the abortion provider committed no wrong.

The grand jury in Houston, which investigated Planned Parenthood after the Center for Medical Progress released its undercover footage last year, indicted the center's founder and another activist Monday – the first criminal charges against anyone in the anti-abortion group since the videos surfaced last year.

The videos provoked outrage among Republican leaders nationwide and prompted investigations by Republican-led committees in Congress and by GOP-led state governments. Planned Parenthood officials have denied any wrongdoing and say the videos are misleading.

Center for Medical Progress CEO David Daleiden and activist Sandra Merritt each face a felony charge of tampering with a governmental record, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Daleiden also faces a misdemeanor count related to purchasing human organs.

The center's footage from the Planned Parenthood clinic in Houston showed people pretending to be from a company called BioMax that procures fetal tissue for research touring the facility.