White House Says Undercover Videos 'Fraudulent' Because Planned Parenthood Told Them So
Citing Planned Parenthood as its source, the White House declared that the undercover videos released by the Center for Medical Progress that appear to show Planned Parenthood illegally profiting from the sale of aborted baby body parts are "fraudulent."
On Thursday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the videos do "not have a lot of evidence" behind them, were released in a "fraudulent way," someone at the White House may have actually watched the videos, and he knows the videos are "fraudulent" because Planned Parenthood told him so.
According to White House records requests, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards has visited the White House at least 37 times since the beginning of the Obama presidency in 2009.
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"There's ample reason to think that this is merely the tried and true tactic that we have seen from some extremists on the right to edit this video and selectively release an edited version of the video that grossly distorts the position of the person who is actually speaking on the video," declared Earnest. "And Planned Parenthood has indicated that's what has occurred here.
Earnest noted that the video in no way aligns with what Planned Parenthood's alleges takes place at their clinics in regards to fetal tissue and organ harvesting.
"Any review of the policy that Planned Parenthood says they implement indicates the views expressed in the videos, or at least the way they're pictured on the videos is entirely inaccurate," he said.
Earnest, however, did not mention the unedited videos that the Center for Medical Progress and Project Lead David Daleiden have released simultaneously. Earnest said he was not sure if President Obama has seen the videos and added the president "is following the story."
Earnest reiterated too that the Obama administration is against any cuts to federal funding for Planned Parenthood, citing "needed healthcare services to women across the country."
The Center for Medical Progress released a fourth video Thursday, covered by The Christian Post, that depicts Planned Parenthood violating possible federal and state laws in the selling of aborted human organ and tissue parts.
On the campaign trail, while the majority of Republican candidates called for cutting Planned Parenthood's funding, Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton appears to be backtracking from earlier comments calling pictures of the videos "disturbing."
Clinton, a 2009 recipient of Planned Parenthood's Margaret Sanger award, tweeted her support for Planned Parenthood Thursday evening.
"Proud to stand w/Planned Parenthood & for access to quality, affordable healthcare for women, men & young people. –H," wrote Clinton.
In a Planned Parenthood statement, the organization's executive vice president, Dawn Laguens, said politicians seeking to capitalize on the attack against them was "outrageous." Laguens described the attack against them as "widely discredited" and argued it could result in "rolling back women's access to healthcare." In an interview with CNN on Wednesday Laguens said that polling on the controversy supported their organization two to one. However, she did not cite any specific polls.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that the legislative body will vote on stripping Planned Parenthood of federal funding, but many experts expect the legislative effort to fall short of the required 60 votes in the Senate.
Daleiden defended the content of the videos through a statement.
"Planned Parenthood and its political allies are using every means possible to try and silence us and suppress investigative journalism but none of these bullying tactics change the facts our undercover investigation continues to prove — that Planned Parenthood illegally harvests, traffics and sells aborted baby body parts for profit," he declared.
"The four video reports we have released so far are undeniable to anyone who watches them and they prove that Planned Parenthood is engaged in a gruesome and inhuman enterprise."
