Center for Medical Progress

Center for Medical Progress
Name	Center for Medical Progress
Formation	2013
Founder	David Daleiden
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Pasadena, California
Region	United States
Purpose	Investigative journalism, anti-abortion advocacy

Center for Medical Progress.

The Center for Medical Progress is a United States-based activist group known for conducting undercover investigations into Planned Parenthood, abortion providers, and related biomedical research entities; its work has provoked extensive legal battles, criminal inquiries, and political debates involving figures such as David Daleiden, Sandra Merritt, and institutions including StemExpress, Hortonworks and Biogen. The organization emerged amid ongoing national disputes over Roe v. Wade, Hyde Amendment, and legislative efforts like the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, producing video releases that influenced hearings in the United States Congress and actions by state attorneys general.

Background and mission

The group was founded by David Daleiden and associates with stated aims of exposing practices at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, affiliates such as Planned Parenthood Los Angeles and Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, and companies involved in human tissue procurement like StemExpress and Advanced Bioscience Resources. It framed its mission within debates surrounding fetal tissue research at institutions including University of California, San Francisco, Scripps Research, and Harvard University laboratories, referencing controversies tied to programs at National Institutes of Health and policies linked to the Barack Obama and Donald Trump administrations. The group's founders cited investigative precedents involving Center for Public Integrity, ProPublica, and Project Veritas while aligning with advocacy networks connected to Susan B. Anthony List and Family Research Council.

Project activities and undercover investigations

CMP conducted covert recordings at clinics, conferences, and meetings involving clinicians from Planned Parenthood Orange and San Bernardino Counties, researchers from University of California, San Diego, and executives at procurement firms such as StemExpress and Novan. The organization released multi-part video series edited from hidden-camera footage purportedly showing discussions about fetal tissue procurement, payment for specimens, and clinical practices; these releases precipitated congressional inquiries from committees led by members of United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, United States House Committee on the Judiciary, and prompted testimonies before subcommittees chaired by lawmakers like Jason Chaffetz and James Lankford. CMP's operations referenced undercover tactics used in other controversies involving ACORN, Project Veritas Action Fund, and sting operations targeting entities such as EMILY's List and Center for Responsive Politics.

Legal controversies and litigation

The group's undercover methods led to multiple criminal referrals and civil lawsuits. State actions involved filings by the offices of the California Attorney General, California Department of Justice, and district attorneys in jurisdictions including Los Angeles County and San Francisco. CMP leaders faced civil suits from Planned Parenthood Federation of America and affiliates alleging fraud, breach of contract, and violations of privacy and recording statutes in states such as Texas, California, and Illinois. Federal litigation included actions invoking the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, parallel suits by companies like StemExpress and Advanced Bioscience Resources, and appellate rulings from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Criminal indictments and grand juries in Harris County, Texas and subpoenas issued by the United States Department of Justice further underscored the legal stakes.

Political and social impact

CMP's video releases ignited policy responses at local, state, and federal levels, influencing debates in state legislatures such as Texas Legislature, California State Legislature, and Florida Legislature and shaping campaign messaging during cycles involving 2016 United States presidential election and 2020 United States presidential election. The materials were cited by members of both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party during hearings and helped mobilize advocacy by organizations including National Right to Life Committee, American Civil Liberties Union, Alliance Defending Freedom, and NARAL Pro-Choice America. Media coverage spanned outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, Fox News, and CNN, while academic commentaries in journals associated with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Yale School of Public Health examined implications for biomedical ethics and regulatory oversight.

Organizational structure and funding

CMP described itself as a nonprofit investigative outfit headquartered in Pasadena, California with a small core staff including investigators, editors, and legal counsel; founders worked with allied legal groups such as Alliance Defending Freedom and Center for Medical Ethics-adjacent attorneys. Funding sources were contested, with reports connecting donors to networks like Americans United for Life, Brackett Fund, and philanthropic entities linked to conservative supporters including families associated with Koch family-affiliated initiatives and donors historically active with Heritage Foundation and Clarus Foundation. Financial scrutiny involved filings with the Internal Revenue Service, state charity regulators in California Attorney General filings, and investigative reporting by outlets such as ProPublica and The Washington Post.

Criticism and defenses

Critics accused CMP of deceptive editing, illegal recording, and violations of medical privacy law, with condemnations from bioethicists at Harvard Medical School, legal scholars at Columbia Law School, and professional organizations such as the American Medical Association and Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. Defenders argued the work exposed unethical practices, citing support from anti-abortion groups like Susan B. Anthony List and legal defenses by advocates from Alliance Defending Freedom and litigators who invoked whistleblower protections under statutes such as the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in contexts involving tissue procurement. Judicial findings and settlement agreements in cases involving Planned Parenthood v. Center for Medical Progress analogues produced a mix of injunctions, monetary damages, and negotiated releases that continue to shape jurisprudence on undercover investigations and nonprofit accountability.

Category:Political organizations based in the United States