Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

New York Attorney General Orders Televangelist Jim Bakker To Stop Selling Supposed 'Cure' For Coronavirus

New York Attorney General Orders Televangelist Jim Bakker To Stop Selling Supposed 'Cure' For Coronavirus
Bonnie Biess/Getty Images for SiriusXM; Michael Tran/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Jim Bakker first caught the public eye as an over the top televangelist with his wife Tammy Faye in the 1980s.

But it all came crashing down over allegations of a non-consensual sexual encounter with a church secretary and fraud at the couple's Heritage USA theme park and resort led to a prison sentence for Jim.


While Tammy Faye's kindness towards those suffering from AIDS and HIV and her personality earned her a redemption with the public and a new husband, Roe Messner, Jim never managed that redemptive moment. After his divorce from Tammy Faye and release from prison, Bakker fell off the map for a time.

But eventually Reverend Jim Bakker was back to his old ways.

With a new wife by his side, Bakker returned to TV preaching to prosperity gospel Evangelical Christians. But instead of peddling fraudulent timeshares between praising the Lord, Bakker now peddles survivalist gear for the coming apocalypse and cure-alls between hymns and prayers.

You can see his pitch for one "health" product in the video below.

Bakker has claimed in the past that his "Silver Solution" can cure cancer, AIDS, depression and any number of other illnesses. But now that COVID-19 is making headlines, Bakker now claims his product can cure coronavirus.

The Food and Drug Administration issued warnings that colloidal silver—particles of silver metal suspended in a liquid—in Silver Solution was unsafe. They also stated there is no evidence that silver is effective for treating any known disease or medical condition.

In addition to the FDA, the National Institutes of Health also said Silver Solution could be dangerous.

With the risks of contagious people taking a snake-oil cure and ignoring public health warnings because of it, New York Attorney General Letitia James is saying enough is enough.

Chief of the Attorney General's Health Care Bureau, Lisa Landau, sent a cease and desist letter to Jim Bakker threatening legal action if he doesn't stop selling his Silver Solution as an effective treatment for COVID-19.

The letter said:

"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 coronavirus claims came last month when Bakker had Sherri Sellman—an integrative naturopathic "doctor"—on his show.

Bakker asked Sellman if his Silver Solution would cure the "influenza that is now circling the globe."

Sellman replied:

"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."
"Totally eliminate it, kills it, deactivates it and then it boosts your immune system."

Bakker sells various forms of the solution for $125 each, paid to his show.

New York AG James said in a statement Thursday her office was watching 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."
"I encourage anyone who believes they are the victim of a scam or predatory action to contact my office and file a complaint."

In response, Bakker's program issued a statement to The Washington Post.

He claimed Silver Solution wasn't a fraud and could cure the many illnesses his program claimed, including HIV, and links to documentation would be provided. However no documentation of proper clinical trials has ever been produced.

People found Bakker's health product claims similar to his past behavior that landed him in prison in 1987.




Whether Bakker will see himself back in court depends on whether he reigns in his Silver Solution claims.

More from Trending

Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jesse Watters Dragged After Adding Another Mind-Boggling Rule For 'Real Men'

Fox News host Jesse Watters, who is apparently an authority of what it means to be a manly man, gave jazz hands to make a point about how "real men" should or shouldn't wave.

The target of his ridicule was Tim Walz, the enthusiastic Democratic Minnesota governor and vice presidential candidate who often greets the public by raising both hands in the air to wave.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of crowd at town hall and Rep. Mike Flood
@MorePerfectUS/X; KETV NewsWatch 7

GOP Rep. Goes Viral For His Response To Crowd Chanting 'Tax The Rich' At Town Hall

Nebraska Republican Representative Mike Flood was criticized following his incredulous response to a crowd that chanted "Tax the rich!" during a town hall meeting.

The Columbus High School auditorium hosted the town hall on Tuesday evening, drawing "nearly 380" attendees, according to local network KETV Omaha. The event was lively, with Flood facing both sharp criticism over Trump administration policies and some appreciation for showing up in person.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Awkward Typo In Elon Musk's Bizarre 'Education Department' Trump Meme Is A Total Self-Own

Billionaire Elon Musk was widely mocked after he celebrated President Donald Trump's executive order to begin to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE) by posting a meme of Trump at the department's grave, only for an awkward misspelling to get all the attention.

Polling indicates that eliminating the Education Department is largely unpopular, with 60% of registered voters opposing the move, according to a Quinnipiac University survey conducted March 6-10. Support stands at 33%, with opposition particularly strong among Democrats—98% oppose it, while just 1% support it.

Keep ReadingShow less
JB Pritzker; Donald Trump
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Dem Governor Reveals Trump's Bonkers Demand In Exchange For Equipment During COVID

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker revealed during a speech this week that he clashed with President Donald Trump during the first Trump administration after Trump promised necessary medical equipment during the COVID pandemic on the condition that Pritzker praise him publicly.

Five years ago, the United States was grappling with the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country had entered shutdowns that had severe economic consequences, leaving businesses and industries on the brink of collapse.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scrabble tiles spelling the word scam
Scam spelled with scrabbles on a wooden table

People Break Down How They Realized An Entire Industry Was A Total Scam

We unfortunately live in a world where scams are on the rise.

Thankfully, some of them are pretty easy to detect, such as an automated call from the IRS telling you a warrant is out for your arrest, or an email claiming to be from Amazon or the USPS asking for your credit card information, only to look closer and see the email address is a yahoo account.

Keep ReadingShow less