Pro-Life Activist David Daleiden Settles Legal Battle with California

Pro-life activist and independent journalist David Daleiden of the Center for Medical Progress described his near-decade long legal fight with the state of California over his undercover video conversations with Planned Parenthood officials.

A pro-life activist and journalist who secretly recorded videos of Planned Parenthood officials allegedly negotiating the sale of aborted fetal tissue is celebrating after settling with the state of California and walking away without any prison time or fines.

"The California Attorney General's office, after nine years of pursuing this case very vigorously, very viciously and very selectively, is walking away with nothing," Center for Medical Progress (CMP) founder and independent journalist David Daleiden told Fox News Digital.

Last week, Daleiden and his associate Sandra Merritt agreed to a "no-contest" plea deal on a single charge, resulting in no fines or prison sentences, in an outcome Daleiden called an "incredible" victory. California prosecutors had at one point pursued up to 15 felony counts.

The charges stem from explosive undercover videos released by CMP in 2015, allegedly showing Planned Parenthood figures discussing the alleged sale of fetal tissue, a violation of federal law. The videos triggered state and federal investigations into the allegations against the abortion giant.

In April 2016, under then-attorney general Kamala Harris, California authorities raided Daleiden's home for evidence, prompting questions about Harris' relationship with Planned Parenthood, which has donated to her campaigns and many other Democrats.

The state's case against Daleiden continued under Harris' successor, Xavier Becerra, who filed 15 felony charges against Delaiden and Merritt in 2017 over the secret recordings.

Daleiden claimed that his case was the "first and only" time the state attorney general's office had pursued a case against an undercover journalist under its recording law.

"It's really a case of viewpoint discrimination and weaponization of the law" to "silence" pro-life voices, he argued.

"They were prosecuting speech, not a crime. They tried to put an asterisk next to my name and work to try to discredit me and prevent the message from getting out. And I feel like at this point, we were able to beat the asterisk because the videos are still out there," Daleiden added.

As the state's case against Daleiden comes to a close, the pro-life activist acknowledged the past near-decade in court has been difficult, but he's been grateful for the support he's received and views the settlement as a "huge victory."

"They tried to use lawfare to cover up the videos, to cover up wrongdoing at Planned Parenthood, to force taxpayers to continue sponsoring the late-term abortion industry and experiments on aborted babies afterward. They tried to do all of that, and I think they've failed," he said.

"But it's definitely hard for nine years living with that cloud over you, trying to work with that asterisk next to your work and in a jurisdiction like San Francisco and California, it's like trying to fight with one hand tied behind your back the entire time. So it was a difficult thing to go through, but I'm really, really happy that it was all worth it."

The activist and journalist sees hope on the horizon for the pro-life movement with actions already taken by President Donald Trump's administration.

Last week, Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy, which forbids taxpayer dollars going to fund nongovernmental organizations or programs "that support or participate in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization."

Trump also issued an executive order enforcing the Hyde Amendment, which prevents federal funding of elective abortions, and the HHS announced it would be reevaluating all programs, regulations and guidelines to make sure they comply with the Hyde Amendment.

"Finally, we're starting to see justice that the federal government is going to divest from its sponsorship of the abortion industry," Daleiden told Fox News Digital. "It's really incredible to see the results of what so many people have been working for so long now."

In a statement, California State Attorney General Rob Bonta said of the plea agreement with Daleiden, "While the Trump Administration is issuing pardons to individuals convicted of harming reproductive health clinics and providers, my office is securing criminal convictions to ensure that Californians can exercise their constitutional rights to reproductive healthcare."

"We will not hesitate to continue taking action against those who threaten access to abortion care -- whether by recording confidential conversations or other means," he said.

Daleiden and Merritt's plea agreement with the state of California requires no contact with victims, no public identification of them, and compliance with all laws, including restrictions on recording, according to Bonta's office.

Planned Parenthood has previously criticized the CMP videos as "highly edited" and "deceptive," claiming they were procured in a "fraudulent" and "illegal" manner.

Kamala Harris and Planned Parenthood did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.