Report for Planned Parenthood finds sting videos manipulated

politico.com ^ | 08/27/15 | Jennifer Haberkorn

[Morgana]

A report commissioned by Planned Parenthood has found that the sting videos targeting its tissue donation practices contain intentionally deceptive edits and inaccurately transcribed conversations and are missing footage. But there is no evidence that the anti-abortion group behind the attack made up dialogue.

The report by research firm Fusion GPS attempts to undermine the videos’ political, legal and journalistic value. The Center for Medical Progress claims that the eight tapes it has released show evidence that Planned Parenthood is making money by trafficking fetal tissue and organs.

The women’s health organization strongly denies those accusations and has repeatedly said the tapes are highly edited and misleading. The forensic report, which relied on video and transcription experts who were hired by Fusion GPS and not associated with Planned Parenthood, is the first comprehensive account of the videos’ discrepancies. It was sent to congressional leadership on Thursday to counter Hill investigations of Planned Parenthood’s work.

Planned Parenthood also told lawmakers that only two of the 59 Planned Parenthood affiliates are currently involved in fetal tissue research — and that there is no evidence any affiliate has broken federal or state laws.

“The attacks on us have the intended purpose of making it appear that fetal tissue research is an enormous focus of Planned Parenthood,” Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, wrote in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Harry Reid. “But the simple fact is that 99 percent of our health centers have no involvement in this work.”

[sauropod]

I agree.

Politico sucks.