WASHINGTON, D.C.— People For the American Way’s Right Wing Watch program is pleased to report that following Right Wing Watch’s exposure of a coronavirus scam, a number of authorities are taking action to shut down the scam and save lives. On February 12, RWW’s Kyle Mantyla posted a clip from disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker’s show in which Bakker hawked a silver solution he claimed could cure coronavirus.
Reaction to RWW’s sharing of the clip was swift. Watchdogs at Center for Science in the Public Interest called on the Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission to take action. The New York Attorney General sent Bakker a cease and desist order. The FDA and FTC ordered Bakker to “immediately cease making all such claims” about the effectiveness of the silver solution. The Missouri attorney general sued Bakker over the claim. Bakker now appears to have removed all references to the product from his website.
“This swift action by authorities to stop a dangerous coronavirus scam will save lives, and we are proud of the part Right Wing Watch played in bringing attention to it,” said People For the American Way Executive Vice President for Policy and Program Marge Baker. “Right Wing Watch works continually to expose dangerous claims and rhetoric, to inform and protect the community. It’s gratifying when our work leads to real action and change as it has here.”
About Right Wing Watch
Right Wing Watch is a project of People For the American Way (PFAW) dedicated to monitoring and exposing the activities and rhetoric of right-wing activists and organizations in order to expose their extreme agenda. Our researchers monitor dozens of broadcasts, emails and websites, and use their expertise on right-wing movements to analyze and distill that information for media, allies and the general public. By shedding light on the activities of the right-wing movement, we help expose the risks its extreme and intolerant agenda presents to our country. We do not endorse the views of groups that we report on.
About People For the American Way
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: https://www.pfaw.org.