New York attorney general to televangelist: stop touting product as coronavirus cure
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Version 0 of 1. Letitia James sent letter to Jim Bakker saying segment on a product sold on his website could mislead consumers New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, has ordered “televangelist” Jim Bakker to stop claiming that a product sold on his website can cure coronavirus. On the 12 February episode of The Jim Bakker Show, the man who once told viewers “only saved people can love Trump” asked guest Sherrill Sellman, a “naturopathic” doctor, if his product, Silver Solution, could treat coronavirus. “Well,” said Sellman, “let’s say it hasn’t been tested on this strain of the coronavirus, but it’s been tested on other strains of the coronavirus and has been able to eliminate within 12 hours. “Totally eliminate it. Kills it. Deactivates it.” Though medical teams around the world are working toward a vaccine against the novel coronavirus, neither a cure nor a vaccine for Covid-19 has been found. On Bakker’s website, a 16oz bottle of Silver Solution cost $40. Sellman went on to say the solution also “boosts your immune system”. “You want a vibrant immune system as well as an ability to deactivate these viruses,” she said. The US health department says evidence supporting health-related claims about silver is lacking and it may be dangerous to people’s health. Last week, James sent a letter addressed directly to Bakker saying the “show’s segment may mislead consumers” and could be considered false advertising, which is against New York law. The letter also advised Bakker to include a statement on all Silver Solution products that any claim he makes about the effectiveness of his product has not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration. In a statement to the Washington Post, the Jim Bakker Show said: “We believe in Optivida Silver Solution … because of the research and the advice from medical professionals that we respect. “What has cemented that belief comes from the countless testimonies of its benefits and what we have seen and experienced ourselves.” Compared to what Bakker has faced from the government before, James’s letter is merely a scolding. In 1989, Bakker was found guilty on 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy counts after he swindled followers of his ministry out of $158m by promising them lifetime vacations, a promise he could not support. He used $3.7m of the money to support an “opulent lifestyle”, the New York Times reported, including an air-conditioned dog house. Bakker served four years in prison. |