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09/01/2005: Would you buy a used car (Or a book) from this man???
Author targeted for cure claims: Trudeau says foes are out to get him. by John Schmeltzer and Michael Higgins (Chicago Tribune):”Publishers Weekly says Kevin Trudeau, author of the book, "Natural Cures `They' Don't Want You to Know About," is the nation's current best-selling non-fiction writer.
But the New York State Consumer Protection Board calls Trudeau a fraud, while the Federal Trade Commission says he has misled millions in sales of other products…
…Previously convicted of credit card fraud and grand larceny, Trudeau acknowledges he has many critics. In 15 years as a marketer, he said, he was barred from doing business in Australia and has been investigated by four federal agencies and more than a dozen state attorneys general.
…
The New York Consumer Protection Board is unhappy with Trudeau over the many medical claims made in his book, which includes advice both sensible (walk one hour a day) and shocking (all tap water is poisonous). Trudeau said he distinguishes between medical facts and his opinions and will fight back.
When the FTC published a press release last year warning of Trudeau's background as an infomercial artist who had "misled American consumers for years," he sought an injunction in federal court in Washington to force the agency to revise it. Last week, a federal judge threw out Trudeau's efforts.
On Tuesday, another federal judge in Albany, N.Y., is to consider Trudeau's claim that the New York consumer board pressured TV and cable channels to stop airing his infomercial for the "Natural Cures" book.
"This book is exploiting and misleading people who are searching for cures to serious illnesses," said Teresa A. Santiago, the New York consumer board chairman. "What they discover is page after page after page of pure speculation. ... From cover to cover, this book is a fraud. ... People with real illnesses are being misled”….
Karen on 09.01.05 @ 09:20 AM CST
