Ted Cruz: Planned Parenthood is ‘a national criminal enterprise’

WASHINGTON – Ted Cruz is pledging to order a federal investigation of Planned Parenthood if elected president and says undercover videos appear to show the health provider is “a national criminal enterprise.”

The Republican presidential candidate also says he would pardon the person behind the videos, David Daleiden, if his case became a federal one.

Cruz made the promises Wednesday night during a candidate forum on Fox News.

Activists secretly recorded videos they allege show that Planned Parenthood sold fetal tissue to researchers for a profit in violation of federal law. Planned Parenthood denies wrongdoing and investigations by several congressional panels and states have yet to produce evidence that the organization acted illegally.

In Houston, a grand jury did not indict Planned Parenthood but brought charges against Daleiden and a colleague related to their undercover activities.

Cruz says the videos appear to expose “vast criminal conduct” by Planned Parenthood.

This story was originally published February 25, 2016 at 9:51 AM with the headline "Ted Cruz: Planned Parenthood is ‘a national criminal enterprise’."