How did this ever even get to a Federal level? I can’t see it getting past district with an ongoing investigation. And what interest does the Federal Government have in a local and State matter? Someone help me here.
The Federal interest is that the “right” to an abortion flows down from the Federal to state and local levels from the US Supreme Court 1973 Roe vs Wade decision (reinforced over the years by yet other Supreme Court decisions). Those federal decisions trumped and continue to trump state and local attempts to place restrictions on the practice. If you, as an abortion proponent, ever feel the right is being illegally constrained, you can return to the Federal Court system to ask that they enforce the right. But it is not a risk free choice. Abortion proponents fear that, if Roe vs Wade is ever overturned (along with the decisions that depend on it), control over this right would then revert to the 50 states and a patchwork of permissions and restrictions would replace the uniform national right to an abortion as it exists now.
The problem for Planned Parenthood in this instance is that they and their building contractor appear to have lied to city and county officials in order to get permission to build the facility. Had they been truthful from the beginning, the issue before the Federal Court might be about access to an abortion. But, having apparently made false statements about the building’s purpose and ultimate ownership all during the permitting and building process, the issue now is the deception, not abortions. There may even be a criminal conspiracy involved as well.
Anyway, that’s my take on the matter.