Twice now, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson has chosen to give cover to criminal abortionists at the expense of whistleblowers. It’s the latest episode in a pattern of liberals abusing Texas’ criminal justice system.
Over the past several months, Anderson’s office had been presenting to a grand jury evidence gathered by the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) that showed Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast employees violating laws prohibiting the sale of body parts taken from aborted babies.
On Monday, it was announced that the grand jury – which was convened by Judge Mary Lou Keel, who is seeking statewide office on the Court of Criminal Appeals – had no-billed Planned Parenthood despite the video evidence against them. Instead, Anderson had procured felony indictments against the reporters from the Center for Medical Progress.
David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt of CMP were both indicted for tampering with governmental records – allegedly because the pair used fake California IDs to fool Planned Parenthood employees into speaking about their illegal program.
More egregiously, even though Planned Parenthood was cleared for selling body parts, Daleiden was indicted for illegally buying organs.
The indictments raise three immediate questions. First, how is there a buyer if there is no seller? Second, why is a violation related to an out-of-state fake ID being treated as a felony? And Third, why on earth go after the whistleblowers when Planned Parenthood was caught on tape illegally profiting off of the sale of human organs?
Devon Anderson was appointed as Harris County’s top prosecutor in 2013 after her husband passed away shortly after he was elected to the position. Since taking office, Anderson has a history of siding with abortionists.
Shortly after her appointment, abortionist Douglas Karpen was accused of late term abortions and aborting fetuses outside of the womb. Even when four former employees came forward with eye witness allegations of Karpen’s gruesome methods, Anderson’s grand jury decided the evidence against Karpen didn’t warrant an indictment and she refused to investigate him any further.
Around the time Karpen was let off the hook, Houston blogger Don Hooper pointed out that one of Anderson’s largest campaign donors happened to be Chip Lewis, Douglas Karpen’s attorney.
Now we are learning that one of Anderson’s top assistants in the Harris County District Attorney’s office sits on the board of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.
Before being appointed DA, Anderson served as a Harris County District Judge. In her campaigns for reelection, she has refused to answer questions regarding her record granting judicial bypasses to minors seeking abortions without their parents’ consent.
Texas Right to Life responded to the decision, saying “People who report crimes should not be indicted due to the political ties of the prosecutors. This botched proceeding represents a grave miscarriage of justice… Texas Right to Life proudly stands with David Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress, and we are deeply grateful that they brought to light the barbarity that we knew was happening behind the closed doors at Planned Parenthood.”
According to Anderson, the grand jury “cleared” Planned Parenthood, but many across the country who have seen CMP’s videos know of the crimes Planned Parenthood committed. The videos depicted a gross disregard for human life and, as such, Gov. Greg Abbott has stated that state investigations into the situation will not be impacted by the decision of Anderson and the grand jury.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said that a Senate committee investigating the videos will continue their work as planned.
This is the latest episode in a disturbing pattern of liberals ignoring real criminals and using the criminal justice system to go after the whistleblowers who expose them. Sadly, we must conclude that in order for a person to be a whistleblower in Texas, they need to hire good lawyers.
