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Federal Judge Who Banned Planned Parenthood Video Releases Once Raised $230,000 For Obama

Timothy Meads Contributor
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A California Federal judge who raised $230,000 for President Obama’s presidential campaign approved an injunction Friday afternoon against the Center For Medical Progress, banning the pro-life group from releasing any more Planned Parenthood sting videos.

The National Abortion Federation filed a restraining order against the CMP early Friday morning, and only a few hours later Judge William Orrick, III approved the request to temporarily ban CMP from releasing any more videos. (RELATED: Nine More Undercover Videos Ready To Drop On Planned Parenthood)

Orrick was not only an Obama appointee in 2012 but also a prominent campaign bundler, the Federalist first reported. According to Public Citizen, Judge Orrick raised $200,000 for Obama in 2008 as well as over $30,000 for committees supporting Obama.

Orrick’s approval of NAF’s injunction came just a day after White House Press Secretary John Earnest said in regards to Planned Parenthood, “the President certainly will not support another effort by Republicans to try to defund an organization that offers important and needed healthcare services to women across the country.”

Earnest also said that “extremists on the right”  released the videos in a “fraudulent way.” (RELATED: White House Says Anti-Abortion Videos Are ‘Fraudulent’)

CMP’s videos have gained traction, with religious leaders and politicians calling for an investigation and stripping of federal funding to the abortion-providing non-profit. (RELATED: Senate Republicans Move To Defund Planned Parenthood)

StemExpress, an abortion assistance agency featured in one of the videos, was also granted a restraining order against CMP. Both cases rest on the premise the undercover journalists didn’t have consent or permission to record their conversations .

David Daleiden, the journalist behind the videos, told CNN, “The National Abortion Federation is a criminal organization that has spent years conspiring with Planned Parenthood on how to violate federal laws on partial-birth abortion and fetal tissue sales.”

CMP is scheduled before Judge Orrick on Monday August 3 to appeal the restraining order.