Latest news with #consumerFraud
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Drops Federal Lawsuit Over Ann Selzer Poll, Refiles in State Court
President Trump dropped a lawsuit in federal court on Monday against the Des Moines Register and pollster Ann Selzer, and refiled it in state court. The legal maneuver comes after Trump suffered an adverse ruling in federal court. Trump is suing over a poll that showed him trailing Kamala Harris by three points in Iowa — he won by 13 — which he alleges amounts to consumer fraud. More from Variety Trump and CBS in 'Advanced' Settlement Talks in '60 Minutes' Case as Deal Appears Close Canada Drops Digital Services Tax at 11th Hour, Backing Down After Trump Terminated Trade Talks Over the Issue Donald Trump Says He's Found a 'Group of Very Wealthy People' to Buy TikTok and Keep App in U.S. A Register spokesperson accused the president of 'gamesmanship,' and said that the paper expects to prevail. 'Although such a procedural maneuver is improper, and may not be permitted by the Court, it is clearly intended to avoid the inevitable outcome of the Des Moines Register's motion to dismiss President Trump's amended complaint currently pending in federal court,' the paper's spokesperson said. 'The Des Moines Register will continue to resist President Trump's litigation gamesmanship and believes that regardless of the forum it will be successful in defending its rights under the First Amendment.' Trump sued in December under the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act. The suit followed the same logic as his earlier suit in Texas against CBS over the editing of an interview with Kamala Harris on '60 Minutes.' In both cases, the defense argued that the suits were frivolous because consumer protection laws do not extend to news coverage. However, CBS appears to be nearing a settlement in which it could pay as much as $20 million. In the Iowa case, the defendants removed the suit to federal court. Last month, U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger denied Trump's motion to send it back to state court, and also denied a bid to add two Iowa politicians as plaintiffs. Trump's lawyers appealed that ruling to the 8th Circuit, but dismissed the appeal along with the federal suit on Monday. The new complaint in Polk County reasserts the fraud claims. Iowa recently became the latest state to pass an anti-SLAPP statute, which provides a mechanism to dismiss frivolous lawsuits that threaten free speech. That statute will take effect on Tuesday. 'Unsurprisingly, President Trump's continued retreat from federal court has occurred the day before Iowa's newly enacted anti-SLAPP statute becomes effective and would provide the Des Moines Register with broad protection for news reporting on matters of public interest,' the paper's spokesperson said. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which volunteered to defend Selzer, said it was aware of the latest move. 'The procedural gamesmanship is obvious and improper,' said Bob Corn-Revere, chief counsel of FIRE, in a statement. 'Whatever court ultimately reviews this matter, FIRE will defend J. Ann Selzer's First Amendment rights, and we remain confident the courts will see through this sham lawsuit.' The suit accuses Selzer of seeking to influence the outcome of the election with a fraudulent poll. The defendants' attorneys previously argued that polls are protected by the First Amendment. 'In the United States there is no such thing as a claim for 'fraudulent news,'' they wrote. 'No court in any jurisdiction has ever held such a cause of action might be valid, and few plaintiffs have ever attempted to bring such outlandish claims. Those who have were promptly dismissed.' Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
CNN
16-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Supreme Court to hear arguments over whether states may subpoena faith-based pregnancy centers
The Supreme Court agreed Monday to take up a First Amendment appeal from a faith-based nonprofit that runs five 'crisis pregnancy centers' in New Jersey and that is fighting a subpoena from the state's Democratic attorney general. First Choice Women's Resources Centers had urged the conservative court to throw out a decision from the Philadelphia-based 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals siding with the state. That decision required the nonprofit to continue litigating its objections to the subpoena in state court. New Jersey officials subpoenaed the center in 2023 as part of investigation into whether the organization violated consumer fraud laws. Pregnancy centers are opposed to abortion, but New Jersey officials said their marketing may have left some patients with the impression that they could receive abortions at the facilities. The subpoena was aimed at evaluating whether the center 'or its staff engaged in misrepresentations and other prohibited conduct,' according to the state. It sought advertisements, donor solicitations, and the identification of licensed medical personnel. The center framed the subpoena as a demand for donor names. If that view of the subpoena prevails, then New Jersey's actions may be in conflict with a 2021 Supreme Court decision in which a majority found unconstitutional a California law requiring the conservative Americans for Prosperity Foundation to disclose its donors. A divided 3rd Circuit ruled in December that the center's claims were not yet ripe because state courts had not yet enforced the subpoena against them.
CNN
16-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Supreme Court to hear arguments over whether states may subpoena faith-based pregnancy centers
The Supreme Court agreed Monday to take up a First Amendment appeal from a faith-based nonprofit that runs five 'crisis pregnancy centers' in New Jersey and that is fighting a subpoena from the state's Democratic attorney general. First Choice Women's Resources Centers had urged the conservative court to throw out a decision from the Philadelphia-based 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals siding with the state. That decision required the nonprofit to continue litigating its objections to the subpoena in state court. New Jersey officials subpoenaed the center in 2023 as part of investigation into whether the organization violated consumer fraud laws. Pregnancy centers are opposed to abortion, but New Jersey officials said their marketing may have left some patients with the impression that they could receive abortions at the facilities. The subpoena was aimed at evaluating whether the center 'or its staff engaged in misrepresentations and other prohibited conduct,' according to the state. It sought advertisements, donor solicitations, and the identification of licensed medical personnel. The center framed the subpoena as a demand for donor names. If that view of the subpoena prevails, then New Jersey's actions may be in conflict with a 2021 Supreme Court decision in which a majority found unconstitutional a California law requiring the conservative Americans for Prosperity Foundation to disclose its donors. A divided 3rd Circuit ruled in December that the center's claims were not yet ripe because state courts had not yet enforced the subpoena against them.
Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Beauty queen sold ‘fibre' gummies laced with laxatives
A Vietnamese beauty queen and social media influencer has been arrested for promoting a fake supplement laced with laxatives to her millions of followers. Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien, a 27-year-old former winner of the Miss Grand International beauty pageant, was detained in Vietnam for consumer fraud on Monday after pushing the gummies, which she claimed were rich in fibre, across her social media platforms. At the time, Thuy Tien had a combined following of nearly 11.5 million people. Thuy Tien produced the gummies, which launched at the end of 2024, as part of a joint venture called Kera Supergreens Gummies with fellow content creators Pham Quang Linh and Hang Du Muc. The three influencers, who are active across Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok, would regularly livestream themselves promoting the gummies and claiming that they each contained an equivalent amount of fibre to a plate of vegetables. In livestreams, Thuy Tien would often refer to the gummies as her 'brainchild' and take credit that the 'Kera candy comes from me personally'. She even said that she developed the product because 'I myself cannot eat vegetables' and would recommend 2-3 pills per day for young children and pregnant mothers. However, a few months after the release, one customer decided to send the supplement to a lab to be tested and found that each gummy contained only 16mg of fibre, a fraction of the 200mg that had been advertised. They also found that the product was 35 per cent sorbitol, which is used as a laxative. According to police, over 135,000 units of the product were sold to more than 30,000 customers, generating revenues exceeding VND17 billion (approximately £489,112). The three influencers were initially fined in March and apologised, but the following month Pham and Hang Du Muc were arrested alongside other representatives from Kera and its manufacturer, including the head of quality assurance and head of production. Thuy Tien, a well-known celebrity in Vietnam, was not arrested until Monday, but she wiped several of her social media accounts in March. During the investigation, Thuy Tien reportedly admitted that she initially had 'good ideas' for the product and has been eager to 'participate in the management'. 'When you are a famous person, your responsibility is very big. People will buy this product a lot because of you,' she was quoted as saying in her defence. Thuy Tien has received numerous accolades from Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, including a certificate of merit from the prime minister and the Outstanding Young Vietnamese Faces award presented by the central committee of the Ho Chi Minh communist youth union.
