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New York Times
22-05-2025
- Health
- New York Times
The Influential Adviser Helping Shape Kennedy's Policies
Calley Means says he knows firsthand that America's food and pharmaceutical industries are corrupt. As a former lobbyist, he argues, he once helped corrupt them. Mr. Means, 39, has emerged as a key figure in the Make America Healthy Again movement. He is a top adviser to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and coordinated a presidential commission report that will be published Thursday on the causes of chronic disease among children. That report is expected to touch on some of the movement's top priorities, including environmental toxins, ultraprocessed foods and corporate influences over our health. Corporate influence has long been a talking point for Mr. Means, who has rapidly risen from an obscure health care entrepreneur to an influential figure shaping the White House's health priorities. (It was Mr. Means who suggested to Mr. Kennedy that he consider joining forces with President Trump last summer.) He is a fixture on Fox News and on popular podcasts, where he often discusses rising rates of issues such as infertility, depression, diabetes and obesity. He is the co-founder of Truemed, a startup that helps people funnel their flexible savings account dollars toward products like weights, saunas and supplements. Mr. Means has said making it easier for people to purchase these types of products could help prevent disease. Mr. Means, who does not have any formal medical training, has used his experience consulting for companies like Coca-Cola and the pharmaceutical industry to call out what he sees as insidious tactics that harm American children. For example, he has said that he worked to ensure sugar taxes failed, on behalf of soda companies. He argues that the health care industry profits from sick children and frequently describes the American public as being on a pharmaceutical 'treadmill,' arguing that the health care system pushes the public toward prescription medications rather than prioritizing diet and exercise. While many scientists and doctors agree with the movement's focus on the health of American children, some have bristled at what they see as an overly simplified picture of complex causes of chronic disease. At times, Mr. Means has also flouted conventional medical guidance, posting on Instagram that children should drink 'more raw milk and less juice' (the Food and Drug Administration has warned against raw milk) and writing on X that Covid vaccine mandates are a 'war crime, particularly for kids.' He has also called water fluoridation 'an attack on lower income kids,' citing research linking high levels of fluoride with lower childhood IQ. The science around the potential cognitive effects of fluoride at levels found in American drinking water is still unsettled. Mr. Means declined to comment for this article. Mr. Trump recently said he would name Mr. Means's sister, Dr. Casey Means, as his nominee for surgeon general. Dr. Means also co-founded Levels, a wearable glucose monitor company. The siblings co-wrote the book 'Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health,' which blames ultraprocessed foods, pesticides, sedentary lifestyles and other issues for a range of chronic diseases. The book also focuses on their mother, who died just 13 days after she was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer in 2021. The pair write that their mother's doctors suggested treatments that would have kept her away from her family in her final days, given pandemic precautions. 'Good Energy' became a best seller. The Means siblings took ideas once closely aligned with the left — such as reducing environmental toxins — and framed them in a way that resonated with conservatives who were already skeptical of the health care system. The siblings' appearance on Tucker Carlson's podcast last August became Apple's most-shared episode of 2024. Soon after, the siblings appeared on the 'The Joe Rogan Experience' podcast to talk about their book, the food industry and corporate corruption. Lately, Mr. Means has found a new platform: a government news conference. Onstage at a recent F.D.A. event announcing a federal push to phase out common food dyes, Mr. Means reflected on the MAHA movement's progress: 'These are things that a year or two years ago would have been absolutely out of the question.'
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Infighting in RFK Jr's camp: Surgeon General pick Casey Means' brother accuses rival of leaking info to Trump ally Laura Loomer
File photo: (Picture credit: X) A fierce internal dispute has broken out within Robert F Kennedy Jr's health policy team after wellness entrepreneur Calley Means accused a rival of leaking damaging claims to far-right activist Laura Loomer, triggering investigations and legal threats. According to The Daily Beast, the conflict centres on a profanity-laced phone call in which Calley Means, CEO of Truemed and an adviser to Kennedy at the department of health and human services, accused The Wellness Company 's CEO Peter Gillooly of feeding false information to Loomer. Loomer had posted that Truemed was committing tax fraud by allegedly auto-generating doctor letters without proper review, allowing customers to use pre-tax dollars to purchase health-related products. 'If one more thing happens, I'm going to go to Jay Bhattacharya and Bobby and tell him that you and your cadre… are spreading lies and trying to f*** with him and hurt his administration,' Means said, according to a transcript and recording obtained by Politico. 'I am going to sue the s**t out of you and escalate this if it continues.' Gillooly, in turn, filed a formal complaint on Saturday with several federal agencies, including the office of special counsel and the health department's civil rights office, alleging Means abused his federal position and threatened retaliation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search Ads Get Info Undo 'This behaviour has no place in the federal government,' Gillooly said. The row followed Loomer's inflammatory post on X, where she alleged, 'Sources have come to me today to say they believe the letters from Truemed are allegedly auto-generated instantaneously, auto signed, and not actually reviewed by a doctor… If these claims are true… that would be TAX FRAUD!' Earlier, Loomer had also criticised Means and his sister, Casey Means, questioning their credibility and influence in Kennedy's health movement. Casey Means, a wellness influencer and Kennedy's pick for US Surgeon General, has become a lightning rod for infighting within the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative. Her appointment has drawn backlash from MAGA figures and health freedom influencers who say she lacks scepticism about vaccines and promotes 'woo-woo' therapies. 'Casey has inspired millions of Americans and is a threat to the status quo because she left the medical system,' her brother Calley Means said to The New York Times, defending her against critics like Loomer and former Kennedy running mate Nicole Shanahan, who accused the siblings of being part of a 'Manchurian' operation. Despite the uproar, Kennedy and Trump have stood by Casey. 'Bobby really thought she was great,' Trump said, calling her 'a very outstanding person.' Kennedy blasted the attacks as driven by entrenched industry interests 'terrified of change.' Meanwhile, The Wellness Company has denied any connection to Loomer. 'I have never spoken to Laura Loomer in my entire life,' said founder Foster Coulson, as cited by Politico, after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Truemed's attorney. Loomer herself denied receiving leaks and was quoted by Politico saying, 'I look up stuff on my own.' The episode has exposed deep divisions within Kennedy's movement, with figures once united under health freedom now locked in a power struggle. As UC Riverside professor Richard Carpiano was quoted by The Hill as saying, 'This is really showing… to what degree is it really like a movement or is it really just this kind of brand that Kennedy is really just trying to push.'
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Profanity-Laced MAHA Civil War Erupts in RFK Jr.'s Inner Circle
A civil war has broken out in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s inner circle over a Laura Loomer post. Casey Means, an adviser to the health secretary and CEO of health payments tool Truemed, has reportedly accused The Wellness Company CEO Peter Gillooly of leaking false information to Loomer, a MAGA hardliner whose posts on X have led to high-profile terminations. In a complaint filed Saturday with multiple agencies, Gillooly accused Means of abusing his role as a senior adviser and violating conflict of interest laws by threatening to involve Kennedy and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya in their dispute, according to Politico. Central to the complaint is an expletive-laden Saturday-morning phone call in which Means accused Gillooly of leaking false information to Loomer about Truemed, which gives customers doctor's letters that let them use pre-tax dollars to buy health and wellness products through their health insurance plans. According to a transcript and recording of the Saturday call obtained by Politico, Means told Gillooly: 'If one more thing happens, I'm going to go to Jay Bhattacharya and Bobby and tell him that you and your cadre… are spreading lies and trying to f--- with him and hurt his administration. I am going to sue the s--t out of you and escalate this if it continues.' The heated phone call came on the heels of an X post where Loomer accused Means of committing tax fraud through his company. 'Sources have come to me today to say they believe the letters from True Med are allegedly auto-generated instantaneously, auto signed, and not actually reviewed by a doctor,' she claimed. 'If these claims are true, and the letters are being auto generated as opposed to being reviewed by a doctor, that would be TAX FRAUD!' Loomer and Means traded barbs on X last week after the far-right activist expressed concern with Means' appointment as health adviser, and opposed the nomination of Means' sister, Casey, as surgeon general. The Means siblings have been credited as the brains behind Kennedy's 'Make America Healthy Again' movement. In a statement to the news outlet, Means said he received information that The Wellness Company was 'actively spreading provably false information about Truemed.' 'I called the CEO of the Wellness Company and threatened legal action if he continued to spread this provably false information,' he said. 'I noted I would prefer they stop spreading provably untrue information before I was forced to take legal action.' Loomer herself put the accusations of leaks to rest, telling Politico that she had her own sources about Truemed: 'I look up stuff on my own.' On Monday, a Truemed lawyer sent a cease and desist letter to Gillooly and Foster Coulson, founder of The Wellness Company. 'I have never spoken to Laura Loomer in my entire life,' Coulson told Politico. 'Using the government to essentially weaponize them against a private company is extremely concerning and is a tremendous threat.' Gillooly told the publication that Means' behavior 'has no place in the federal government.' He filed his complaint with the Office of Special Counsel, Federal Trade Commission, and the Health Department's Office of Civil Rights and Office of Inspector General. The Daily Beast has reached out to the Health Department for comment.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Wellness CEO files ethics complaint against top RFK Jr. adviser
An internal battle has emerged inside the 'Make America Healthy Again' movement, with the CEO of a supplements company and a top adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leveling accusations against each other that include making threats of retribution, conflicts of interest and leaking false information to far-right activist Laura Loomer. At the center of the fight are Peter Gillooly, CEO of The Wellness Company, and Calley Means, who in addition to serving as an adviser to RFK Jr. is the co-founder of a health care payments company and the brother of Casey Means, who was recently nominated to be the next surgeon general by President Donald Trump. In a formal complaint to the Office of the Special Counsel and other agencies filed Saturday and obtained by POLITICO, Gillooly accuses Calley Means of abusing his position at HHS and violating the law prohibiting conflict of interest in government services by threatening to involve Kennedy and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya in the dispute. 'If one more thing happens, I'm going to go to Jay Bhattacharya and Bobby and tell him that you and your cadre of Peter McCullough and Kelly Victory are spreading lies and trying to fuck with him and hurt his administration,' Means said, naming two members of the company's medical board, in a recording of a Saturday morning call between him and Gillooly obtained by POLITICO. (The transcript of the call is quoted in the complaint.) During the call, Means accused The Wellness Company, a supplement vendor led by a medical board of vaccine opponents that is regularly promoted on conservative media, of leaking false information about his own company, Truemed, to Loomer. Truemed provides customers with doctors' letters that allow them to use pre-tax dollars to purchase health and wellness products via their health insurance plans. 'I am going to sue the shit out of you and escalate this if it continues,' said Means, who is currently serving as a special government employee. In that role, Means is allowed to serve in a temporary capacity without having to step away from his personal business. The dispute puts on display the competing interests within Kennedy's MAHA movement which has swiftly gained power and influence during Trump's second term. The MAHA coalition has reshaped the federal government's approach to health care as Kennedy has ousted roughly 25 percent of HHS staff and empowered vaccine opponents, wellness entrepreneurs and alternative medicine advocates with little to no government experience. 'I received information that the Wellness Company was actively spreading provably false information about Truemed,' Means said in a statement to POLITICO. 'I called the CEO of the Wellness Company and threatened legal action if he continued to spread this provably false information. I noted I would prefer they stop spreading provably untrue information before I was forced to take legal action.' A lawyer for Truemed sent a cease and desist letter to Gillooly and The Wellness Company founder Foster Coulson on Monday, stating they have reason to believe the company spread false information about Truemed with Loomer for the purposes of embarrassing a competitor, according to a copy of the letter obtained by POLITICO. Coulson denies sharing information with Loomer. 'I have never spoken to Laura Loomer in my entire life,' Coulson told POLITICO. 'Using the government to essentially weaponize them against a private company is extremely concerning and is a tremendous threat.' The confrontation appears to have been prompted by a Friday post on X from Loomer accusing Means and Truemed of committing tax fraud by auto-generating doctors' letters without authentic medical review. Reached by POLITICO, Loomer denied being sent any information about Means and said she did not know Coulson. 'I look up stuff on my own,' Loomer said. Means accused Coulson of sharing 'incorrect information' about Truemed with people like Loomer, possibly as part of an effort to cut in on Truemed's business. Following Truemed's business model could save The Wellness Company's customers 30-40 percent on their supplements, Means told Gillooly during the call. 'Now, that should be something that you guys partner with us on but since you guys have a telehealth platform and if you guys wanted to do that and compete that would be maybe even a good idea,' Means said. 'He clearly states that if I do not accept his accusation and comply — which I am not guilty of in the first place — he will sue myself and my business,' Gillooly wrote in the complaint. 'Additionally, Means threatens to blackmail my private corporation with HHS executive leadership if we do not comply with his demands, and extort my business into transacting with Truemed.' 'I think there needs to be a thorough investigation because this sort of behavior has no place in the federal government,' Gillooly told POLITICO. The complaint was submitted Saturday to the Office of Special Counsel, HHS Office of Civil Rights, HHS Office of Inspector General and the Federal Trade Commission. 'In order to protect the integrity of our investigative process, HHS is unable to confirm any specific investigations or inquiries that may be taking place within the office,' an HHS spokesperson said in a statement. 'The Office of Civil Rights thoroughly reviews each complaint and determines if it has the legal authority to review and investigate the complaint.' The Office of Special Counsel, which handles complaints of government employee wrongdoing, and the HHS inspector general declined to comment. The FTC did not respond to a request for comment.
Politico
13-05-2025
- Health
- Politico
Exclusive: Wellness CEO files ethics complaint against top RFK Jr. adviser
An internal battle has emerged inside the 'Make America Healthy Again' movement, with the CEO of a supplements company and a top adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leveling accusations against each other that include making threats of retribution, conflicts of interest and leaking false information to far-right activist Laura Loomer. At the center of the fight are Peter Gillooly, CEO of The Wellness Company, and Calley Means, who in addition to serving as an adviser to RFK Jr. is the co-founder of a health care payments company and the brother of Casey Means, who was recently nominated to be the next surgeon general by President Donald Trump. In a formal complaint to the Office of the Special Counsel and other agencies filed Saturday and obtained by POLITICO, Gillooly accuses Calley Means of abusing his position at HHS and violating the law prohibiting conflict of interest in government services by threatening to involve Kennedy and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya in the dispute. 'If one more thing happens, I'm going to go to Jay Bhattacharya and Bobby and tell him that you and your cadre of Peter McCullough and Kelly Victory are spreading lies and trying to fuck with him and hurt his administration,' Means said, naming two members of the company's medical board, in a recording of a Saturday morning call between him and Gillooly obtained by POLITICO. (The transcript of the call is quoted in the complaint.) During the call, Means accused The Wellness Company, a supplement vendor led by a medical board of vaccine opponents that is regularly promoted on conservative media, of leaking false information about his own company, Truemed, to Loomer. Truemed provides customers with doctors' letters that allow them to use pre-tax dollars to purchase health and wellness products via their health insurance plans. 'I am going to sue the shit out of you and escalate this if it continues,' said Means, who is currently serving as a special government employee. In that role, Means is allowed to serve in a temporary capacity without having to step away from his personal business. The dispute puts on display the competing interests within Kennedy's MAHA movement which has swiftly gained power and influence during Trump's second term. The MAHA coalition has reshaped the federal government's approach to health care as Kennedy has ousted roughly 25 percent of HHS staff and empowered vaccine opponents, wellness entrepreneurs and alternative medicine advocates with little to no government experience. 'I received information that the Wellness Company was actively spreading provably false information about Truemed,' Means said in a statement to POLITICO. 'I called the CEO of the Wellness Company and threatened legal action if he continued to spread this provably false information. I noted I would prefer they stop spreading provably untrue information before I was forced to take legal action.' A lawyer for Truemed sent a cease and desist letter to Gillooly and The Wellness Company founder Foster Coulson on Monday, stating they have reason to believe the company spread false information about Truemed with Loomer for the purposes of embarrassing a competitor, according to a copy of the letter obtained by POLITICO. Coulson denies sharing information with Loomer. 'I have never spoken to Laura Loomer in my entire life,' Coulson told POLITICO. 'Using the government to essentially weaponize them against a private company is extremely concerning and is a tremendous threat.' The confrontation appears to have been prompted by a Friday post on X from Loomer accusing Means and Truemed of committing tax fraud by auto-generating doctors' letters without authentic medical review. Reached by POLITICO, Loomer denied being sent any information about Means and said she did not know Coulson. 'I look up stuff on my own,' Loomer said. Means accused Coulson of sharing 'incorrect information' about Truemed with people like Loomer, possibly as part of an effort to cut in on Truemed's business. Following Truemed's business model could save The Wellness Company's customers 30-40 percent on their supplements, Means told Gillooly during the call. 'Now, that should be something that you guys partner with us on but since you guys have a telehealth platform and if you guys wanted to do that and compete that would be maybe even a good idea,' Means said. 'He clearly states that if I do not accept his accusation and comply — which I am not guilty of in the first place — he will sue myself and my business,' Gillooly wrote in the complaint. 'Additionally, Means threatens to blackmail my private corporation with HHS executive leadership if we do not comply with his demands, and extort my business into transacting with Truemed.' 'I think there needs to be a thorough investigation because this sort of behavior has no place in the federal government,' Gillooly told POLITICO. The complaint was submitted Saturday to the Office of Special Counsel, HHS Office of Civil Rights, HHS Office of Inspector General and the Federal Trade Commission. 'In order to protect the integrity of our investigative process, HHS is unable to confirm any specific investigations or inquiries that may be taking place within the office,' an HHS spokesperson said in a statement. 'The Office of Civil Rights thoroughly reviews each complaint and determines if it has the legal authority to review and investigate the complaint.' The Office of Special Counsel, which handles complaints of government employee wrongdoing, and the HHS inspector general declined to comment. The FTC did not respond to a request for comment.
