Supreme Court nixes anti-abortion group’s appeal over videos

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is rejecting an appeal from an anti-abortion group that surreptitiously recorded Planned Parenthood employees.

The justices joined lower courts Monday in allowing Planned Parenthood’s racketeering and other claims against the Center for Medical Progress to proceed.

Two members of the group also are facing criminal charges in California over the secret recordings.

The center says its videos show Planned Parenthood employees illegally selling parts of aborted fetuses.

Planned Parenthood says the center surreptitiously accessed its conferences to gain meetings with its staff and create deceptively edited and false videos that were posted online.

Planned Parenthood denied wrongdoing in connection with its fetal tissue practices.