Two journalists from the Center for Medical Progress, David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt have been charged with 15 felonies by the California State Attorney General.
The two were producing a documentary series on the abortion industry and used a journalism technique that has been used since a camera could be concealed . . . undercover reporting.
The tactic, which has been used most effectively by James O’Keefe and his group, Project Veritas, is now seen by liberal legislators as a unethical technique and they are taking action to stop it.
Daleiden and Merritt may be the example that the left hopes will send a message to other would be undercover journalists who expose government and institution corruption and wrongdoing.
But their reach stops at specific borders.
The duo from the Center for Medical Progress did possibly violate a California state law that requires two-party consent to film. Basically, if you are going to record a person and a private place, you have to obtain their consent to film.
The laws are remnants of wiretapping laws and legislators choose to apply their reach to video recording and photography.
In the State of Maryland, law enforcement go so far as to demand that it is illegal to film them . . . which is false, but they still arrest individuals who attempt to get a quick YouTube video.
As for David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, they may be protected by another California law that protects the recording and publishing of material that falls within the public’s interest.
Both Daleiden and Merritt work for the Center for Medical Progress which is a registered 501(c3) public interest group.
It will be up to the liberal California Attorney General to decide which law he choose to apply.
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