The National Abortion Federation can no longer prevent video footage taken by David Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress at NAF’s annual convention from being shown to federal lawmakers.
The video is thought to show NAF members saying revealing and gruesome things about the buying and selling of aborted baby-parts.
Within a few weeks of the first video release over the summer, U.S. District Judge William Orrick in California issued a temporary restraining order saying, “…NAF is likely to suffer irreparable injury…in the form of harassment, intimidation, violence, invasion of privacy, and injury to reputation…”
While the underlying issue has not yet been decided — NAF is seeking damages for violating nondisclosure agreements — one pressing issue has been outstanding subpoenas issued by both law enforcement and the U.S. Congress.
NAF insists the videos can’t even be sent to Congress. The Judge disagrees. Yesterday he issued an order giving Daleiden and CMP permission to send all raw footage taken at NAF proceedings to the House Judiciary Committee.
The Judge says he “remains concerned” about violence against abortionists and the “privacy rights of NAF’s members,” nonetheless he insists the “court cannot assume that Congress will act irresponsibly in regulating or disclosing the information at issue.” The Judge said, “…the Speech and Debate Clause of the Constitution provides immunity to allow Congress to independently perform its legislative duties through its subpoena powers.”
The order was silent on releasing the videos to law enforcement.
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