House Coronavirus Committee to Investigate Organizations Pushing Deadly Alternative COVID Cures

Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., chair of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, announced an investigation last Friday into the right-wing, anti-science propaganda group America’s Frontline Doctors and telemedicine provider SpeakWithAnMD.com following an Intercept investigation. Clyburn called the two organizations “predatory actors” that have been “touting misinformation and using it to market disproven and potentially hazardous coronavirus treatments” such as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.

The committee, citing an investigation by The Intercept, requested documents from America’s Frontline Doctors, or AFLDS, and SpeakWithAnMD about their business practices and profits. It wrote to the Federal Trade Commission requesting that the agency investigate whether these companies are in violation of federal laws.

In September, The Intercept obtained hacked data revealing that the network of right-wing health care companies was “making millions advertising, prescribing, and distributing ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine as an alternative to the highly effective Covid-19 vaccines”. Between July and September, 72,000 patients whom AFLDS referred to SpeakWithAnMD were charged an estimated $6.7 million for telemedicine consultations alone. AFLDS began referring patients to SpeakWithAnMD in January, and The Intercept does not have data between January and July, so the total revenue from the operation is likely considerably higher, they wrote.

Tucker Carlson's Patriot Purge featured a shot of Simone Gold of America's Frontline Doctors in the Capitol Rotunda on January 6. Gold was previously a guest on Carlson's Fox News show. pic.twitter.com/Ee4DAtuQlL

— John Whitehouse+ (@existentialfish) November 4, 2021

The Intercept reports that SpeakWithAnMD then wrote prescriptions for the questionable treatments that were filled by the online pharmacy Ravkoo, which is not a subject of the House investigation. Ravkoo, according to the hacked data, charged patients an additional $4.7 million for ivermectin, $2.4 million for azithromycin, and $1.2 million for hydroxychloroquine between November and August.

America’s Frontline Doctors (AFLDS) spread COVID-19 disinformation while selling hydroxychloroquine & ivermectin.

If you or someone you know was a victim of this scam, file a complaint against the doctor with their State Medical Board. 1/2 #AFLDScam https://t.co/UMAQq5AHAY pic.twitter.com/Q6Stt7UoxY

— No License For Disinformation (@NLFD_org) October 31, 2021

Rep. Clyburn’s letter says he believes that the companies’ deceptive practices could “violate the FTC Act, the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act, or other relevant laws. For these reasons, I urge FTC to open an investigation into these matters and appropriately exercise its enforcement authority.”

.@COVIDoversight is looking into whether two online orgs profited off #COVID19 misinformation & how their deceptive practices may violate federal law. https://t.co/2ehpQY54xo

— Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis (@COVIDOversight) November 3, 2021

Read more at The Intercept.