Attorney General Bonta Secures Felony Conviction of David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt for Criminal Invasion of Privacy

SAN FRANCISCO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the felony conviction of David Robert Daleiden, along with co-conspirator Sandra Merritt, for criminally recording confidential communications with women’s healthcare providers. Previously, in 2017, the California Department of Justice announced the filing of an arrest warrant against Daleiden and Merritt. Yesterday, they each pleaded no contest to, and were found guilty of, one felony count of California Penal Code Section 632(a) (unlawful recording of confidential communication).

“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,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We will not hesitate to continue taking action against those who threaten access to abortion care — whether by recording confidential conversations or other means.”

The terms of the plea agreement include:

• Daleiden and Merritt will have no contact with, stay away from, and not name the victims — whether in public, their private residences, over social media, or at their work locations.

• Daleiden and Merritt must obey all laws. This specifically includes not making any additional recordings that violate Penal Code Section 632.