CHICAGO, Aug. 18 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network– A federal court has issued an order temporarily enjoining the New York Consumer Protection Board (CPB) from
interfering with the sale of Kevin Trudeau’s nationally best-selling book,
Natural Cures “They” Don’t Want You to Know About. The consumer activist has
sold more than three million copies of the book, which is highly critical of
the Food and Drug Administration’s close relationship with the pharmaceutical
industry.
The court order, pending through August 30th, was issued in relation to a
lawsuit filed by Trudeau in Albany, NY, last week against CPB’s aggressive
interference with book sales and violation of his First Amendment rights. The
agency threatened to pursue cable and broadcast networks with the intent to
dissuade them from airing Trudeau’s infomercials for the book, and distributed
a news release to stir negative publicity about the book and Trudeau.
“This is an important step in the battle to uphold the First Amendment,”
said David Bradford, partner at Jenner & Block in Chicago who filed the
lawsuit on Mr. Trudeau’s behalf. “The court’s order preserves Mr. Trudeau’s
ability to pursue protection for authors everywhere and their right to
criticize the government.”
Natural Cures “They” Don’t Want You to Know About, presents alternative
health remedies that Trudeau believes assist in health maintenance without
drugs and surgery. The book is highly critical of government agencies and
their alliance with pharmaceutical companies. However, even the Federal Trade
Commission has recognized that the book is fully protected by the First
Amendment. The CPB’s actions set an alarming historical precedent as this is
the first time a government agency has sought to suppress a book primarily for
its ideological content.
“Kevin Trudeau has blown the whistle on government corruption and the
government is desperately trying to silence him,” said Bradford. “This federal
court order so far supports Mr. Trudeau’s First Amendment rights and indicates
the government may have threatened to go too far in its effort to suppress
Trudeau’s ability to raise skepticism of the government among millions of
people across the country.”
Trudeau is seeking a declaratory judgment that the CPB is not lawfully
permitted to hinder his speech under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
Temporary restraining orders of this nature are granted only in exceptional
cases.
