A Planned Parenthood-commissioned analysis of the undercover videos recently released by The Center for Medical Progress found no “substantive” manipulation of footage.
Planned Parenthood hired Fusion GPS — a Democratic opposition research firm — to perform a forensic analysis of the videos in an apparent effort to back up its claim they’re “highly edited.” The footage shows top Planned Parenthood doctors discussing fetal tissue harvesting, and images of staff dissecting fetuses.
The analysts found evidence of some edits, such as cuts or skips in the footage, but little to suggest CMP tampered with the footage in any meaningful way, and zero evidence of audio manipulation.
“This analysis did not reveal widespread evidence of substantive video manipulation,” the report concludes, “but we did identify cuts, skips, missing tape, and changes in camera angle.”
Planned Parenthood sent a letter containing the findings to House Republicans last week — warning the edits make the footage useless in court — and media outlets such as The New York Times and Vox seized on the report.
“Planned Parenthood Videos Were Altered,” a NYTimes headline read. And from Vox: “I thought I saw all the Planned Parenthood sting footage. Turns out the tapes were edited.”
In a detailed response to the report, CMP said the missing footage identified in the report was presented to law enforcement and investigators, but cut from publicly released footage to “protect the actors.” CMP added that the cuts are a combination of bathroom breaks, waiting time between meetings and logistical discussions between the undercover actors.
CMP attributed some of the cuts identified in the report to human error, and published a missing 30 minute segment from one of the videos online Monday.
“Planned Parenthood’s recent pseudoscientific, paid analysis of CMP videotapes by a political opposition research firm is a poor attempt to distract from the serious admissions of Planned Parenthood leadership in the videos,” CMP wrote in a letter to Congress Monday.
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