WND EXCLUSIVE

PLANNED PARENTHOOD HIT WITH DEFAMATION CHARGE

'Cease and desist' letter in response to 'false and defamatory' comments

Bob Unruh

In response to the release of an ongoing series of devastating undercover videos revealing Planned Parenthood executives haggling over prices to charge for baby body parts and the best ways of aborting unborn children to preserve the most valuable organs, the beleaguered organization’s president has repeatedly lashed out at the pro-life group behind the videos, the Center for Medical Progress.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America president Cecile Richards has repeatedly alleged that, “The folks behind this, in fact, are part of the most militant wing of the anti-abortion movement that has been behind, you know, the bombing of clinics, the murder of doctors in their homes, and in their – in their churches – that’s what actually needs to be – to be looked at.”

Now one of CMP’s board members, Troy Newman, head of Operation Rescue, has dispatched a cease and desist letter to Richards and Planned Parenthood, demanding a full retraction.

“I cannot stand by while Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richards and ABC News air false allegations against me that are now being repeated as fact in numerous news sources,” Newman said in a press release.

“I have never condoned violence against abortion providers or businesses and Richards’ patently false statements against me must be retracted,” he said.

Richards’ statements were voiced in the July 26 edition of ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulus,” when she accused the Center for  Medical Progress of advocating violence, including, “the bombing of clinics” and “the murder of doctors in their homes, and in their churches.”

Operation Rescue is a mainstream pro-life organization that engages in “non-violent civil disobedience at abortion facilities,” specializing in “documenting and reporting substandard and unlawful practices within the abortion industry.”

The plan to beat Planned Parenthood – $4.95 today only!

The cease and desist letter, prepared by Operation Rescue Chief Counsel Brian Chavez-Ochoa, says “Richards’ despicable lie is spreading rapidly.”

He cited dozens of online and other news sources that have repeated the unsupported allegation of condoning and encouraging murder and clinic bombing.

A solution, the pro-life organization’s attorney said, is to “publish a retraction and a sincere apology,” and then “communicate that retraction and sincere apology to ABC News together with a request that ABC News immediately remove Richards’ false and defamatory, malicious comment.”

“Of course, Richards, PPFA, and PPA will be held responsible for the harm to my client’s reputation caused by the media’s repetition of Richards’ libelous statement,” the letter continues.

The letter further stipulates that Newman has never “participated in, planned, assisted, caused, aided or abetted, the murder of anyone, whether a doctor or other person; the bombing of any clinic, whether an abortion facility or other; the murder of Bernard Slepian, MD (referred to by innuendo in Richards’ remark regarding doctors murdered in their homes); or the murder of George Tiller, MD (referred to by innuendo in Richards’ remark regarding doctors murdered in their churches).”

Richards’ comments came in an interview prompted by the release of undercover videos made by CMP that show evidence of Planned Parenthood’s involvement in the illegal selling of aborted baby remains. Newman was targeted by Richards because he serves as a board member for the Center for Medical Progress.

“Planned Parenthood is lashing out and trying to deflect from their own appalling and allegedly illegal behavior by attacking me. With ongoing criminal investigations in at least 11 states, Planned Parenthood is desperate to change the subject. I cannot allow Richards to make statements that damage my good name just so she can shift public attention away from what is really going on inside her abortion clinics,” said Newman.

WND reported at the time on Richards’ rant against pro-life individuals and organizations.

This is patently false, writes Susan Michelle for Live Action News:

“She’s alluding to Dr. George Tiller, the late-term abortion doctor who was murdered in church by a man who acted independently. Scott Roeder, who killed Tiller, would call Operation Rescue on the phone (as any member of the public can do), but he was not part of their group. Operation Rescue’s Troy Newman, sits on the board of CMP, so the abortion giant is trying to tie CMP to murder.”

In fact, as Michelle pointed out, Operation Rescue denounced Roeder, saying:

“Then came Scott Roeder, who acted in frustration borne out of ignorance … He shot and killed Tiller on May 31, 2009, claiming that all legal avenues had been exhausted and that his action was necessary to save the lives of pre-born babies. Nothing could have been further from the truth … Roeder was no hero.”

Want to understand the history of abortion as a tool of black genocide? See the documentary Maafa 21: Black Genocide in 21st Century America.”

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2015/08/planned-parenthood-hit-with-defamation-charge/#Kcw72mlZQIP8eLLJ.99