The New York attorney general’s office has ordered disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker to stop misleading consumers about a fake cure for coronavirus.
Lisa Landau, chief of the AG’s Health Care Bureau, sent a cease and desist letter to Bakker on Thursday threatening legal action if he fails to stop touting his “Silver Solution” as an effective treatment for the deadly virus. Landau wrote that she was “extremely concerned” about his latest promotion because there is no specific medicine to prevent or treat the novel coronavirus.
“Any representation on the Jim Bakker Show that its Silver Solution products are effective at combatting and/or treating the 2019 novel coronavirus violates New York law,” the letter warned.
Last month, Bakker interviewed Sherri Sellman, an integrative naturopathic doctor, on his program and asked her if his Silver Solution product would be effective in treating the “influenza that is now circling the globe.”
“Well, 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 it within 12 hours,” Sellman said. “Totally eliminate it, kills it, deactivates it and then it boosts your immune system.”
An ad on the screen offered various forms of the solution for $125, paid to JimBakkerShow.com.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement Thursday that her office was on alert for coronavirus scams like Bakker’s.
“In addition to being mindful about our health, we must also beware of unscrupulous actors who attempt to take advantage of this fear and anxiety to scam or deceive consumers,” James stated. “I encourage anyone who believes they are the victim of a scam or predatory action to contact my office and file a complaint.”
Bakker was a leading televangelist until 1987 when he resigned his ministry amid a sex scandal. He later served more than four years in prison on federal charges that he defrauded his followers.
A statement from Bakker’s program to The Washington Post claimed Silver Solution wasn’t a fraud and could cure many illnesses, including HIV, and that links to documentation would soon be provided.
The Food and Drug Administration has warned that the colloidal silver — particles of silver metal suspended in a liquid — in Silver Solution wasn’t safe or effective for treating any disease or condition. The National Institutes of Health also warned it could be dangerous.