January, 14 2016, 02:30pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Alissa Manzoeillo, National Abortion Federation: amanzoeillo@prochoice.org
Statement in Support of Planned Parenthood Lawsuit
Today, with our full support, our partners at Planned Parenthood filed a federal lawsuit against the Center for Medical Progress (CMP), BioMax Procurement Services, David Daleiden, Troy Newman, and others, seeking to hold them accountable at law for their dangerous smear campaign against providers of abortion care. The National Abortion Federation (NAF)
WASHINGTON
Today, with our full support, our partners at Planned Parenthood filed a federal lawsuit against the Center for Medical Progress (CMP), BioMax Procurement Services, David Daleiden, Troy Newman, and others, seeking to hold them accountable at law for their dangerous smear campaign against providers of abortion care. The National Abortion Federation (NAF) filed a lawsuit against CMP, Biomax, Daleiden, and Newman in July, and successfully sought and obtained a temporary restraining order (TRO) in order to protect the safety and security of our members, and to prevent the defendants from releasing confidential information they illegally obtained at NAF's annual meetings.
"These perpetrators must be held accountable for the ways in which they committed fraud and put our members' safety at risk," said NAF President and CEO Vicki Saporta.
The defendants engaged in a long running conspiracy in order to gain access to abortion providers and confidential meetings. Their actions have clearly placed abortion providers at risk. Following their misleading smear campaign, we have seen an unprecedented escalation in hate speech and threats against abortion providers, including death threats.
"Nothing is more important than the safety and security of our members and taking these criminals to task for their illegal activities," said Saporta.
Outside litigation counsel for the National Abortion Federation, Morrison & Foerster's Derek Foran, said "we are delighted Planned Parenthood is joining the legal fight NAF began last July against extremists whose conspiracy has placed NAF's members in harm's way, merely for working to ensure the constitutionally-guaranteed right of women in this country to make their own reproductive choices."
The National Abortion Federation (NAF) is the professional association of abortion providers.Our members include individuals, private and non-profit clinics, Planned Parenthood affiliates, women's health centers, physicians' offices, and hospitals who together care for approximately half the women who choose abortion in the U.S. and Canada each year. Our members also include public hospitals and both public and private clinics in Mexico City and private clinics in Colombia.
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