NAF Calls on Representative Chaffetz to Investigate Alleged Congressional Leak

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Alissa Manzoeillo, National Abortion Federation
202.667.5881, ext 219; 202.595.4395 (after hours/cell)
[email protected]

Statement of Vicki Saporta, President and CEO of the National Abortion Federation (NAF):

NAF has gone to federal court to protect our members and block the anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress from releasing any of the video footage they stole from our Annual Meetings. Even though we have a temporary restraining order in place, this week another source has leaked some of the videos from our meetings. We are very concerned that this material was leaked and are following up with the Court and Congress to get to the bottom of the matter.

These videos are protected by our temporary restraining order. According to published reports, the individual behind these leaks is a personal friend of David Daleiden, so although he claims to have received them from Congress, we are not certain that is the case. We served the individual who posted these leaked videos with our temporary restraining order on Wednesday.

Yesterday, we also called on Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) to take immediate action to investigate whether the videos were leaked by a Congressional source, and to take any and all steps necessary to maintain the confidentiality of these protected materials.

Representative Chaffetz knows firsthand that having someone improperly access and disclose your sensitive, personal information is “intimidating,” “scary,” and crosses a line that “should never be crossed.” If a Congressional leak has occurred with these videos, then Representative 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 Representative 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.

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The National Abortion Federation (NAF) is the professional association of abortion providers. Our members include individuals, private and non-profit clinics, Planned Parenthood affiliates, women’s health centers, physicians’ offices, and hospitals who together care for approximately half the women who choose abortion in the U.S. and Canada each year. Our members also include public hospitals and both public and private clinics in Mexico City and private clinics in Colombia.