A May 13 WorldNetDaily article by Bob Unruh dishonestly presents the case of a self-proclaimed Christian nutritional “ministry” as a free-speech case. He writes: “The Supreme Court is being asked to decide whether the government can dictate the message of a Christian ministry.”
Unruh then offers a biased description of the case:
The core of the dispute involves the government’s allegations that the ministry, which advocates for herbal and natural remedies rather than using “toxic pharmaceuticals,” made promises of cures from its treatments.
The FTC’s own adjudication process earlier decided that the FTC was right in attacking the organization, trying to impose massive fines and then ordering the ministry, at its own expense, to tell all of its customers that the “toxic pharmaceuticals” were the only “scientifically proven” remedies.
In fact, as we’ve documented, the case is about the “ministry” in question, Daniel Chapter One, offering claims about the supplements it sells without offering scientific evidence to back it up. Daniel Chapter One has steadfastly refused to offer anything but anecdotal evidence that its supplements work. But because Daniel Chapter One presents itself as a ministry, it has tried to reframe the argument as one of free speech when that is not the case. And Unruh is dishonest enough to play along.
More evidence of Unruh’s dishonesty: Unruh makes no apparent effort whatsoever to contact federal officials for their side of the story.
Also unmentioned by Unruh are questions raised by the government about the finances of the couple that operate the ministry, Jim and Tricia Feijo, claiming that they have taken a vow of poverty, but are using the proceeds of Daniel Chapter One “to buy things like two Cadillacs, two homes, restaurant meals, tennis memberships, country clubs, pool and gardening services, cigars, carries around a Gold American Express card.”
An FTC attorney has also stated, “What we know is that Mr. Feijo stopped paying his taxes sometime in the mid-1990s, and what we know is that thereafter, he incorporated Daniel Chapter One as a Washington corporation sole. The woman who incorporated it, Nancy Johnson, was then prosecuted by the IRS for tax evasion in connection with corporations sole.”
But Unruh is too invested in telling the story the Feijos want to get out, so he has no interest in reporting the truth.