Kevin Trudeau

Kevin Mark Trudeau (born February 6, 1963) is an American author, pocket billiards promoter (founder of the International Pool Tour), salesman, and self-proclaimed alternative medicine advocate. He is known for a number of television infomercials promoting his products, and for several books, including Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About.

Trudeau was convicted of fraud and larceny in the early 1990s. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sued him numerous times. A court order currently restricts his ability to promote and sell any product or service. However, he is permitted to promote books and other publications due to free-speech protection under the First Amendment as long as they are not used to promote or sell products or services and do not contain misrepresentations.^[1]^[2] On November 19, 2007, a court found Trudeau in contempt of that court order for making deceptive claims about his book The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You to Know About. ^[3]^[4]

Early life

Trudeau grew up in Lynn, Massachusetts, United States, the adopted son of Robert and Mary Trudeau. He attended St. Mary's High School, where he was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" by the class of 1981.^[5]^[6]

Career

After serving time for criminal activity in the early nineties, Trudeau partnered with his former cell mate and they joined Nutrition for Life, a multi-level marketing firm, where he was very successful. However, he and his partner were sued by the Illinois Attorney General for allegedly running a pyramid scheme. Trudeau and his company entered into a settlement with Illinois and seven other states for $185,000. ^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]

He went into the business of producing and appearing in infomercials—which were broadcast frequently on late night TV in North America—and promoted a range of products, including health aids, dietary supplements (like coral calcium), real estate investment strategies, memory-improvement courses, baldness remedies, addiction breaking, and reading improvement among others. The claims made in the infomercials resulted in regulatory actions by the FTC, based on his alleged misrepresentations and unsubstantiated claims. In 1998 he was fined and then in 2004 agreed to settle an FTC contempt-of-court action by agreeing to a settlement that banned him from using infomercials to promote products, except publications protected by the First Amendment. He also paid a US$2 million settlement.^[1]^[2]

He began writing various books and promoting them with infomercials including Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About published in 2005. After criticism that the book did not contain any natural cures promised in his infomercials (Trudeau claims that he was not able to include them because of threats from the FTC), Trudeau released an updated version of the original book. Subsequently, he published a new book titled More Natural Cures Revealed: Previously Censored Brand Name Products That Cure Disease (ISBN 0-9755995-4-2). According to Trudeau, the book contains the names of actual brand name products that will cure myriad illnesses. He then published The Weight-Loss Cure "They" Don't Want You to Know About in 2007. Trudeau's most recent publication, titled Debt Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About, promises to reveal secret tips and methods consumers can use to eliminate their debt.

Trudeau's books have sold well. Natural Cures was listed in September 2005 by the New York Times as the number-one-selling current nonfiction book in the United States for 25 weeks, and has sold more than five million copies. In addition, Trudeau has claimed to have countless thank-you letters from people who have taken his advice and improved their quality of life.

Criminal history and legal proceedings

1990-1991: Larceny and credit card fraud

In 1990, Trudeau posed as a doctor in order to deposit $80,000 in false checks, and in 1991 he plead guilty to larceny. Trudeau had used the credit cards of eleven customers of a mega memory product to fraudulently charge approximately $122,735.68.^[11] He spent two years in federal prison because of this conviction (Choi, 2005). Later, in his book Natural Cures, Trudeau claimed that he has since learned from his experience, and is now motivated to help people rather than merely make money for himself.^[7]

1996: SEC and various states

Trudeau began working for Nutrition For Life, a multi-level marketing program in the mid 1990s. However, in 1996, his recruitment practices were cited by the states of Illinois and Michigan, as well as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Illinois sued Trudeau and Jules Leib, who was his partner, accusing them of operating an illegal pyramid scheme. They settled with Illinois and seven other states for $185,000 after agreeing to change their tactics. Michigan forbade him from operating in the state.^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10] A class action lawsuit was filed by stockholders of Nutrition for Life for violations of Texas law including misrepresenting and/or omitting material information about Nutrition for Life International, Inc.'s business. In August 1997, the company paid $2 million in cash to common stockholders and holders of warrants during the class period to settle the case. The company also paid the plaintiffs' attorney fees of $600,000.^[12]

1998: FTC fine

In 1998, Trudeau was fined $500,000 to be used for consumer redress by the FTC, relating to six infomercials he had produced and in which the FTC determined he had made false or misleading claims. These infomercials included "Hair Farming," "Mega Memory System," "Addiction Breaking System," "Action Reading," "Eden's Secret," and "Mega Reading."^[13]^[14] The products included a "hair farming system" that was supposed to "finally end baldness in the human race," and "a breakthrough that in 60 seconds can eliminate" addictions, discovered when a certain "Dr. Callahan" was "studying quantum physics." ^[7]^[15]

2004: FTC contempt of court and injunction

In June 2003, the FTC filed a complaint in the Northern District of Illinois against Trudeau and some of his companies (Shop America (USA), LLC; Shop America Marketing Group, LLC; and Trustar Global Media, Limited), alleging that disease-related claims for Coral Calcium Supreme were false and unsubstantiated. In July 2003, Trudeau entered into a stipulated preliminary injunction that prohibited him from continuing to make the challenged claims for Coral Calcium Supreme and Biotape.

In the summer of 2004, the court found Trudeau in contempt of court for violating the preliminary injunction, because he had sent out a direct mail piece and produced an infomercial making prohibited claims. The court ordered Trudeau to cease all marketing for coral calcium products.

In September 2004, Trudeau agreed to pay $2 million ($500,000 in cash plus transfer of residential property located in Ojai, California, and a luxury vehicle) to settle charges that he falsely claimed that a coral calcium product can cure cancer and other serious diseases and that a purported analgesic called Biotape can permanently cure or relieve severe pain. He also agreed to a lifetime ban on promoting products with infomercials. However, that did not restrict his right to promote books via infomercials.^[1]^[2]^[16]

2005: Trudeau v. FTC

On February 28, 2005, Trudeau filed a complaint against the FTC in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief. Trudeau also filed a motion for preliminary injunction, which the court denied. ^[17]

The complaint charged that the FTC had retaliated against him for his criticism of the agency by issuing a press release that falsely characterized and intentionally and deliberately misrepresented the 2004 Final Order. That conduct, Trudeau asserted, exceeded the FTC’s authority under 15 U.S.C. § 46(f) and violated the First Amendment. The Federal Trade Commission responded with a motion to dismiss the complaint for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1), and for failure to state a claim for which relief can be granted under Rule 12(b)(6).

The district court granted the FTC’s motion to dismiss. First, the court concluded that it lacked subject-matter jurisdiction because the press release was not “a ‘final agency action’” under “section 704 of the [Administrative Procedure Act]”, 5 U.S.C. § 704. Second, the court held, “in the alternative, that Trudeau’s claims failed to state a viable cause of action as a matter of law.”^[17]

Trudeau later filed an appeal which resulted in the unsuccessful attempt to reverse the previous court's ruling.^[18]

2005: Trudeau v. New York Consumer Protection Board

Trudeau filed a lawsuit on August 11, 2005, accusing the New York State Consumer Protection Board of violating his First Amendment rights by contacting television stations in New York state and urging them to pull Trudeau's infomercials promoting his book Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About.^[19] Trudeau won a temporary restraining order on September 6, 2005 prohibiting the Board from sending letters to the television stations. The temporary restraining order was replaced by a preliminary injunction. However, Trudeau lost a motion to have the Board send a "corrective letter" to the television stations and subsequently dropped all claims for monetary damages. The case is still in litigation.^{citation needed}

2007: FTC contempt of court action

The FTC has filed a contempt of court action against Trudeau and the companies that market The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You to Know About, alleging that Trudeau is in contempt of a 2004 court order by "deceptively claiming in his infomercials that the book being advertised establishes a weight-loss protocol that is 'easy' to follow." The action was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on September 17, 2007.^[20] According to an FTC Press Release, Trudeau claims that the weight loss plan outlined in the book is easy, can be done at home, and readers can eat anything they want. When consumers buy the book, they find it describes a complex plan that requires intense dieting, daily injections of a prescribed drug that is not easily obtainable, and lifelong dietary restrictions.^[21]

On November 19, 2007, Trudeau was found in contempt of the 2004 court order for "patently false" claims in his weight loss book. U.S. District Court Judge Robert W. Gettleman ruled that Trudeau “clearly misrepresents in his advertisements the difficulty of the diet described in his book, and by doing so, he has misled thousands of consumers.” A penalty will be determined at a later hearing.^[22]^[3]^[4]

Publications

Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About

In the book, Trudeau claims that there are "all-natural" cures for serious illnesses, including cancer, herpes, arthritis, AIDS, acid reflux disease, various phobias, obesity, multiple sclerosis, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome, attention deficit disorder, and muscular dystrophy, and that these cures (which include the practice of Dianetics, a practice of Scientology) are being deliberately hidden from the public by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission because the government cannot regulate and control "all-natural" cures. Trudeau cites an alleged pattern of payoffs, conflicts of interest, and bribery, as well as commissioners from the FDA going to work directly for drug companies upon leaving the FDA and using their clout to protect their companies' interests. Trudeau also argues that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is also involved, shutting down Trudeau and others who advocate "all-natural cures" in order to protect the drug companies' profits.

The New York State Consumer Protection Board issued a warning in 2005 that the book "does not contain the 'natural cures' for cancer and other diseases that Trudeau is promising." It asserted that "Trudeau is not only misrepresenting the contents of his self-published book, he is also using false endorsements to encourage consumers to buy the book.^[23] The Board also alleged that Trudeau is selling the consumer's contact information to other marketers without their consent and hitting purchasers with unauthorized charges.^[24]

More Natural "Cures" Revealed

In May 2006, Trudeau published More Natural "Cures" Revealed: Previously Censored Brand Name Products That Cure Disease. This less-publicized book in response to aforementioned complaints that its earlier version did not actually contain any cures but instead pointed consumers to his subscription website.

The Weight Loss Cure "They" Don't Want You To Know About

In April 2007, Trudeau released another book, titled The Weight Loss Cure "They" Don't Want You to Know About. The book describes a three-phase multi-month plan originally made famous by British endocrinologist A.T.W. Simeons in the 1950s. The first phase involves switching to all organic foods with repeated colonic and liver cleansing. This is followed by a second-phase period of daily hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) injections under the direction of a health care provider. In Phase 3, use of hCG stops, but food must continue to be 100% organic. Other recommended activities include walking an hour a day or more and doing breathing exercises.

The online consumer watchdog group Consumeraffairs.com has received many complaints about the book.^[28] Additionally, the FCC has filed a contempt-of-court action against Trudeau alleging that the alleged misrepresentations in the book violate a 2004 consent order.^[21]^[20]

Debt Cures 'They' Don't Want You To Know About

Trudeau's latest book (ISBN 9780979825804) which was published in 2007 and has been marketed on television. Chuck Jaffee, a columnist at CBS Market Watch, reviewed the book and stated: "Truth be told, most of the information [in the book] is readily available in personal finance columns you can find online or in books that are readily available in your local library."^[29]

Media interviews

During interviews, Trudeau has often said that the television program in which he is being interviewed is “owned” by the drug companies. This frequently happens when a statement by Trudeau is refuted as being untrue, such as his statements that the FTC could find no wrong-doing in any case brought against him. In some cases Trudeau has told his supporters, via his newsletters, that he has been “attacked” on a particular program or by a particular interviewer.

He says that he has been offered taped interviews, which he refused. When he requested a live interview, no live interview was granted.^{citation needed} On another occasion, he relates that a Good Morning America television crew arrived early in the morning while he was asleep. He says that they started shouting accusations at him and, as he was not showered, fed, or dressed, he could not come out and answer. According to Trudeau, he had to call the police to have them removed from his property. The television crew then aired the footage, claiming he denied them an interview.

Infomercials

Trudeau was one of the most prolific producers of infomercials. He stipulated to an FTC ban applying to everything except publications that the FTC concluded would infringe upon his First Amendment rights. All of his recent infomercials advertise his books Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You To Know About (there were at least five different versions of that infomercial, airing in 2004 and 2005) and The Weight Loss Cure. One notable co-host was Tammy Faye Messner.

Pharmaceutical companies

Trudeau argues that pharmaceutical companies "don't want us to get well" because curing disease is not nearly so profitable as treating it perpetually. According to Trudeau, the corporate profit motive overrides the human desire to truly help people.

Trudeau says that natural treatments cannot be patented and are not profitable enough to justify spending hundreds of millions of dollars in testing, so they will always lack FDA approval. Trudeau uses herpes as an example, saying that people with herpes must buy an expensive drug for the rest of their lives. He says that if there were a cheap, easy cure for herpes, the FDA and pharmaceutical companies would not want the population to know about it because corporate profits would suffer.

He frequently cites the number of advertisements on television for prescription drugs and points out that prescription drugs should be advertised to doctors, not the general public.

He states in one infomercial that there are twelve known cures for cancer but that they are being kept from the general public by the FDA, the FTC, and the pharmaceutical companies. He also says that the FDA and the FTC are two of the most corrupt organizations in America and that there is a long list of chemical ingredients that are secretly not required to be on the FDA ingredients label which are damaging to human health.

Trudeau offers what some would call a conspiracy theory, claiming that the drug industry and the FDA work with each other to effectively deceive the public by banning all-natural cures in order to protect the profits of the drug industry. In addition, Trudeau says that FDA commissioners who leave the FDA to work for large drug companies are paid millions of dollars. In any other industry, according to Trudeau, this would be called "bribery," a "conflict of interest" or "payoffs." Trudeau also says in his infomercials that the food industry is including chemicals (such as MSG) to get people "addicted to food" and to "make people obese."^[35]

Trudeau has also declared that he will lead a crusade against the FDA and the FTC and will make an effort to sue companies who promote false claims in advertising, such as leading pharmaceutical companies.

References to scientific studies

One of the major complaints about Trudeau's infomercials is that he makes only vague references to scientific studies, making them impossible to cross-check for accuracy. The same criticism exists for the anecdotal evidence he presents in the infomercials.^[36] He does not mention names of people who have been cured by his methods. For example, he tells a story in an infomercial about "a friend from England" who came to his house and complained of heartburn. He also references a study done on the antidepressant qualities of St. John's Wort compared to two prescription medications. He claims that the media reported St. John's Wort was "proven ineffective in study," but critics say that none of the medicines tested were effective at combating depression.

Critics say that by not referencing studies to substantiate claims, Trudeau gets into a conflict with the FTC. The infomercials suggest that these subjects will be addressed further in the book, but this is not the case. Readers of his book are often referred to his website to find Trudeau's suggested natural cures, where a fee must be paid for its use.

Newspaper article

A 2005 Associated Press article by Candice Choi on the infomercials elaborates on the success and problems of the programs.^[37] Choi says that by repeatedly mentioning government sanctions against him, Trudeau "anticipated any backlash with his cuckoo conspiracy theory" and can partially deflect any criticism of him or his infomercials. Trudeau's use of the word "cure" is an issue for regulators. Also, bookstores are polled on their decisions to sell or not sell a successful and controversial self-published book.

Other criticisms

No medical training

One common criticism by consumer groups is that Trudeau has had no medical training. Trudeau responds that by not having such, he is not biased towards pharmaceutical companies and the FDA, and that medical doctors "are taught only how to write out prescriptions" for "poisons" and "cut out pieces of a person's anatomy." (Natural Cures, Chapter 1 - "I Should Be Dead By Now")

No basis in research

Another criticism is that Trudeau's claims are usually not backed by research, and that much of his information is an overpriced repackaging of preexisting natural cure remedies. Trudeau himself acknowledges that the "cures" are not his; he did not invent them or discover them, but merely believes in them and uses them.^{citation needed}

Trudeau's rhetoric is often inconsistent with basic biological facts. In the Shop America infomercial for The Weight-Loss Cure "They" Don't Want you to Know About, he claims that following the protocol detailed in the book switches off the hypothalamus gland, thereby suppressing hunger. He then claims that once your appetite is suppressed, your metabolism will skyrocket, allowing you to eat meals such as prime rib, pasta, and hot fudge sundaes. If the amount of calories burned exceeds the amount of calories taken in by food, then this naturally leads to hunger.^{citation needed}

No proof of claims

Trudeau has also been criticized for his inability to provide substantial evidence to back up many of his claims. Although he provides anecdotal evidence, he has not provided evidence that such customer claims have been evaluated by a licensed medical practitioner. As such, any claims made by Trudeau or his supporters that his book or other business endeavors have helped people cannot be verified and are based solely on testimonials. In instances where Trudeau has been asked to provide proof of his claims, he has misinterpreted medical studies or cited dubious or fictitious studies. This includes, but is not limited to, a nonexistent 25-year research study involving a natural cure for diabetes at the University of Calgary.^[38]^[39]

False endorsements

In August 2005, the New York Consumer Protection Board warned consumers that Trudeau has used false claims of endorsements to promote his products, noting that the back cover of Natural Cures includes false endorsements. Further, the NYCPB states that Trudeau's television ads “give the false impression that Tammy Faye Messner opposes chemotherapy in favor of the ‘natural cures’ in Trudeau’s book.” A representative for Tammy Faye said that was not true and that she was starting chemotherapy again.^[23]

The back cover includes the following quote from Dr. Herbert Ley, a former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration who died three years before the book was written: “The thing that bugs me is that people think the FDA is protecting them. It isn't. What the FDA is doing and what people think it's doing are as different as night and day.” Trudeau's lawyer, David J. Bradford, says that this quote does not constitute a false endorsement of his book by Ley but rather is merely a statement that is in line with the purpose of his book.^[40]

Additional marketing ventures

Audio tapes: “Mega Memory”

Trudeau claimed to have adapted techniques used to improve the memory of the blind and the mentally challenged to create Advanced Mega Memory and Mega Memory audio tapes. His promotion of memory-enhancing products was put to an end by an FTC crackdown, which determined that the programs involved would not enable users to achieve a photographic memory, as the advertising claimed.^[14]

Non-surgical face lift

In addition to Natural Cures, Trudeau also hosted an infomercial that features the "Perfect Lift" non-surgical face lift. In England, this infomercial was found to violate the ITC advertising rules.^[41]

As of 2008 Trudeau is doing another infomerical with Leigh Valentine called Firmalift. There is great controversy on the internet about this duo teaming up. Leigh Valentine is the wife of fraudulent televangelist Robert Tilton.^{citation needed}

Trudeau partners with Donald Barrett and ITV Direct

On September 11, 2006, Donald Barrett and ITV Direct, a direct marketing company based in Beverly, Massachusetts, announced that they had partnered with Trudeau to market both of his Natural Cures books.^[42] Trudeau also worked with ITV to create ITV Ventures, a new MLM group based out of ITV's home office.^[43] As of December 2006, ITV Direct has pulled all information concerning both this partnership and Trudeau's books from its corporate website; however, the infomercials have continued to run as of April 14th, 2008.

International Pool Tour

Trudeau founded the International Pool Tour (IPT), with some of the largest purses and prizes given out in billiards.^[44] Trudeau's investment into pool brought pool players from around the world out of the woodwork by investing millions of dollars in an attempt to elevate pool as a legitimate sport. However, the IPT was then unable to pay the sums from a tournament in Reno, an event which some critics say had a crushing effect on the pool community as a whole.^[45]

List of books and recordings

Contents