This week, a “radical” blogger leaked confidential videos that were provided to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and which he claims to have received directly from a Congressional source. These videos are protected by a temporary restraining order issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. They were provided in response to a Congressional subpoena because the Court believed the Committee would “exercise [its] powers responsibly and with due regard for the rights of affected parties.” This alleged Congressional leak raises some serious questions about the integrity and impartiality of this Committee and its investigation into federal funding of Planned Parenthood.
According to published reports, the individual behind these leaks is a personal friend of David Daleiden, the man who orchestrated the illegal video smear campaign that is the subject of the National Abortion Federation’s lawsuit. Although the blogger claims to have received the videos from Congress, we are not certain that this is the case. Still, it is imperative that Committee Chairman Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) take immediate action to investigate whether the videos were leaked by a Congressional source, and take any and all steps necessary to maintain the confidentiality of these protected materials.
Chaffetz knows firsthand that it can be “intimidating” and “scary” when someone improperly accesses and discloses your sensitive, personal information. Last month, when it was revealed that U.S. Secret Service employees had improperly accessed and circulated his sensitive, personal information he said it crossed a line that “should never be crossed.” If a Congressional leak has occurred with these videos, then Chaffetz should agree that the same line has been crossed and it should never have been crossed.
Our priority has always been the safety and security of our members, their staff, their patients, and their families. Since the first misleading video was released in July, there has been an unprecedented increase in hate speech and threats against abortion providers, including a $10,000 reward for the murder of a provider. Another anti-abortion extremist has called for every abortion clinic to be burned down, and so far there have been four arsons at clinics since July. For providers these threats are very real, and the release of more videos will likely lead to more threats, intimidation, and possibly violence against abortion providers.
We urge Chaffetz to conduct a full investigation into the source of the leak, and to take additional steps to protect the confidentiality and security of the materials in his possession.
Saporta is the president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation (NAF) the professional association of abortion providers.