Planned Parenthood is taking legal action against the anti-abortion group that leaked heavily-edited undercover sting videos last summer in order to create what the women's health organization calls a "smear campaign."

The secret videos, which were released by the Center for Medical Progress in July, accused the pro-choice non-for-profit of illegally selling aborted fetal tissue for profit. The videos quickly went viral, sparking a national outcry and debate over women's reproductive rights. A number of Republican lawmakers also called for the federal government to stop funding Planned Parenthood.

In response, Planned Parenthood has denied any wrongdoing and explained that it has the legal right to accept money to transport donated fetal tissue to medical researchers. The organization also slammed the videos as being "deceptively edited."

On Thursday, Planned Parenthood filed a federal lawsuit against the conservative anti-abortion group, accusing it of using conspiracy, fraud and other illegal means to secretly record videos at their health centers.

Under the suit, Planned Parenthood argues that the Center for Medical Progress and its organizer, David Daleiden, engaged in unlawful behavior that has violated laws in multiple states in addition to federal law.

"The people behind this fraud lied and broke the law in order to spread malicious lies about Planned Parenthood," said Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in a press statement. "This lawsuit exposes the elaborate, illegal conspiracy designed to block women's access to safe and legal abortion, and we filed the case to hold them accountable."

Laguens also described the videos as a fraudulent "smear campaign" that's "built on illegal acts and a web of lies," reports Reuters.

In response, the Center for Medical Progress called the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, "frivolous."

"This last-ditch move of desperation is going to expose all of the sordid dealings of the California Planned Parenthood affiliates," the group said.

Daleiden also released a statement saying that he is looking "forward to deposing all the CEOs, Medical Directors, and their co-conspirators who participated in Planned Parenthood's illegal baby body parts racket," reports The Hill.

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