Planned Parenthood 2015 undercover videos controversy

In 2015 the anti-abortion organization The Center for Medical Progress (CMP) released a number of videos that had been secretly recorded by actors hired by CMP. In the videos, the actors — who were posing as representatives of a fake biotechnology company — discussed acquiring tissues from aborted fetuses with officials for Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization that provides reproductive health services throughout the United States. The first round of videos were found to be highly edited however subsequently CMP released less edited, unedited, and at least one embellished video. CMP founder David Daleiden alleged that the videos provided evidence of a ""criminal conspiracy to make money off of aborted baby parts reach[ing] to the very highest levels"" of Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood condemned CMP's allegations as false, and stated that the videos had been deceptively edited. According to Planned Parenthood's spokespeople, all of the organization's tissue donations are made ""with full, appropriate consent from patients and under the highest ethical and legal standards,"" and there is ""no financial benefit"" from these donations, ""either the patient or for Planned Parenthood"".The videos and CMP's allegations attracted widespread media coverage and caused widespread protests, re-invigorating the long-running political debate over abortion in the United States. In response to the controversy, Congressional lawmakers considered several bills to defund Planned Parenthood, none of which have become law. Several states elected to cut contracts and funding for Planned Parenthood.Multiple states, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Kansas, initiated investigations and none have found that Planned Parenthood clinics have illegally handled tissues as alleged by CMP and Planned Parenthood's adversaries.