Televangelist Jim Bakker settles lawsuit over COVID-19 cure claims
Televangelist Jim Bakker has settled a lawsuit brought by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R) over his marketing of “silver solution” as a potential cure for the coronavirus.
Schmidt said in a statement that the televangelist and his Morningside Church Productions will pay roughly $156,000 in restitution over the marketing of the silver solution.
Schmidt sued Bakker in March 2020 for claiming that silver solution could cure the coronavirus on multiple episode of The Jim Bakker show.
The attorney general wanted a restraining order and permanent injunction against Bakker selling the substance as a coronavirus treatment.
Morningside offered Silver Solution in exchange for a contribution of $80 to $125, according to court documents. Part of the contribution went to the solution, while the other was a charitable donation.
Bakker was ordered to refund $90,000 to customers who purchased silver solution between Feb. 12 and March 10, 2020.
Schmidt’s office said he’s already refunded a number of customers who purchased the product, which combined with the $90,000 brings the restitution to about $156,000.
The televangelist is also not allowed to sell or advertise the solution as “to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat or cure any disease or illness”
Bakker was represented by Derek Ankrom and former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D), according to The Associated Press.
The attorneys told the news outlet in a statement that Bakker and Morningside can “continue the important work of Morningside Church.” They added that the agreement contains “no findings whatsoever that our clients violated any laws or misled” consumers.
Schmidt was not the only one to go after Bakker over his marketing of silver solution.
New York Attorney General Letitia James sent a cease-and-desist letter to Bakker over a Feb. 12 episode of the show.
During the episode, a guest claimed that while the solution hadn’t been tested on COVID-19, the solution had eliminated other strains of the coronavirus in a span of 12 hours.
The Food and Drug Administration also warned the televangelist over his marketing of the solutions.