A Planned Parenthood CEO refused to answer questions Friday about her failure to reprimand a doctor who was secretly filmed boasting about “less crunchy” abortion techniques so as to acquire better body parts for sale.
Sheri Bonner, the CEO of Planned Parenthood Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley, refused to answer questions on Friday about evidence she gave in the organization’s lawsuit against journalist/activist David Daleiden, and his colleagues about undercover videos that showed senior executives negotiate over the sale of body parts from abortions.
The judge refused to let the “less crunchy” part of the video be shown in court and interrupted counsel when it was mentioned. Dr. Gatter said she had persuaded a fellow surgeon to employ the “less crunchy” technique so as to acquire a less damaged and therefore more valuable and sought-after body part. However, the jury did hear a defense lawyer start to talk about the quote and also heard that Dr. Gatter was “haggling” over the price of body parts retrieved from abortions.
At the time, Dr. Gatter was one of the most senior doctors and executives in Planned Parenthood. She was the medical director at Planned Parenthood Pasadena and the president of Planned Parenthood’s National Medical Directors Council.
It is illegal to profit from the sale of body parts in the United States. Leaving the court after giving evidence, Ms. Bonner refused to answer questions about whether it is legal to change abortion/medical techniques to make them ‘less crunchy” for profit and without the patient’s consent.
In court, Ms. Bonner said she had not reprimanded Dr. Gatter for the secretly recorded admissions because they were part of a normal “business conversation.”
“Well, because I looked very carefully at the video. I had conversations with our attorney. I saw nothing in that video that would indicate that there was any reason to reprimand. It was a business conversation that was happening between two parties,” she told the court.
The judge refused to allows Daleiden’s defense counsel to question her on the “less crunchy technique” quote and Ms. Bonner refused to answer questions on the matter from Daily Wire correspondent, Phelim McAleer, as she left the court (see video). Her security detail tried to block the camera and interview before driving her away.
Planned Parenthood is seeking damages from Daleiden and his co-defendants for damages they say were caused by the videos. The abortion giant is also seeking damages for breach of contract and fraud for misrepresentations made to infiltrate the organization and for breach of privacy for filming the executives during negotiations.
Planned Parenthood had originally sought $20 million in damages for fraud and trespass against Daleiden and his colleagues. However, Judge William Orrick reduced potential damages to $600,000. Daleiden and his colleagues deny liability, maintaining that in situations where he broke the law on recording without permission, he was acting as a journalist and such practices are allowed under California law where they can be utilized to prevent a felony assault on a person.
Daleiden recorded Planned Parenthood executives stating they changed abortion techniques to ensure the retrieval of better and more profitable body parts. The recordings, he claims, took place in public places such as restaurants and hotels where participants have no expectation of privacy.
Planned Parenthood is not suing Daleiden for defamation or slander and its lawyers have not stated that the videos were inaccurate or exaggerated. They instead claimed in opening argument that they were filmed through illegal methods. The organization is also claiming Daleiden and his colleagues are guilty of fraud for setting up a fake company and identifications to start the business conversations with the Planned Parenthood executives.
Phelim McAleer is a journalist and filmmaker. He is the author of the New York Times best selling book “Gosnell – The Untold Story of America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer.”