Tenpenny’s gospel: How an indebted US physician sells Covid falsehoods

From a $240 premium podcast annual membership to $165 webinars on why people "should not take the shot," health supplements and ticketed public speaking, Tenpenny runs a sprawling enterprise based on anti-vaccine activism, disdain for masks and testing, and denials that Covid-19 is real.Earlier this year, Tenpenny was named one of the worst known spreaders of falsehoods, myths and misleading statements about vaccines -- a group the non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate dubbed the "Disinformation Dozen."But in comments to AFP, Tenpenny stood by her claims, maintaining that she is not spreading misinformation and is simply making "a living."While US President Joe Biden's administration pleads with the vaccine-hesitant to take the shot, Tenpenny brands Covid-19 a manufactured crisis and a means of government control."They put a key on their forehead, it sticks. They can put spoons and forks all over them, and they can stick," she said in remarks that were soon debunked, but only after gaining a national audience.But much of her prolific output remains accessible -- illustrating the whack-a-mole problem of weeding out dangerous online content, which Big Tech has yet to solve.Rachelle Eaton, who lives a half-hour drive from Tenpenny in the Cleveland area, watched the doctor's remarks to lawmakers in horror."This doctor pulled a lot of people down this rabbit hole of misinformation," said the 52-year-old, who eight months later is struggling with what is known as "long Covid," after contracting the disease despite doing "everything right" -- wearing a mask and leaving home only to work."She's dangerous, and what makes her so dangerous is that I think her audience are these young moms who only want to do what is best for their children," Eaton said of Tenpenny.But VAERS is no more than a collation of unverified reports of vaccine side effects, which do not prove causality. AFP has repeatedly fact-checked inaccurate claims about the system.A group representing medical regulators, the Federation of State Medical Boards, warned in July that doctors spreading inaccurate Covid-19 vaccine information risk disciplinary action, including suspension or revocation of medical licenses. Tenpenny has so far faced no such sanction.Although she is not trained in epidemiology, Tenpenny's status as a physician -- Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine confirmed she graduated in 1984 -- lends her posts credibility with followers, despite their medical implausibility.Tenpenny sold a weeks-long "boot camp" on vaccines for several hundred dollars, in the autumn of 2020 and then again earlier this year. More recently she promoted an August 5 "Freedom Crusade" event in California at $57 a ticket.Tenpenny, who spent years battling the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in court, refused to comment on whether there is a connection between her business activities and her tax debts.Public records have for more than two decades given Tenpenny's address as a property near Cleveland's international airport, with Google images showing a tree-shaded suburban house set back on a wide lawn.In 2013, a judge cited precedent of dismissing "irrational or wholly incredible" claims in rejecting her argument that she is a "non-taxpayer." Tenpenny had sought an order that the IRS close its books on her and that "all outstanding amounts are zeroed out."When asked for additional details on her finances, she replied: "None of your business."As well as the "Disinformation Dozen," she was named in a separate Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) list of "Pandemic Profiteers," anti-vaccine figures who operate businesses or organizations with significant revenues.Its title: "'Doctor' Tenpenny: Getting Rich Off Stupidity."- Christian message -She underpins her stance with a Christian message, in step with many of the American conservatives who have railed against lockdowns, masking and other measures to contain the pandemic. Tenpenny starkly displayed these views in a June 15 video broadcast titled "The Satanic Goal Behind the Covid Plandemic."Those who succumbed and got shots "need to go to the Lord with a really heavy heart and the deepest regret that they could possibly muster. They need to repent for the sin of fear," she said on stage at a July event dubbed "Reawaken America."The CCDH earlier this year reported that Tenpenny and other anti-vaccine campaigners had a combined 59 million followers across social media platforms.Biden referred to the dozen in July as he urged online tech giants to crack down on the spreaders of misinformation that, he said, is "killing people."As to whether her advice could be harmful -- even fatal -- to her followers, she replied: "How responsible will you feel as millions die from this shot?"Pamela Glasner, a Connecticut-based author and filmmaker, filed a complaint with Facebook after watching news coverage of Tenpenny's false statements on magnetism, and hearing others repeat them.For Imran Ahmed, CCDH's chief executive, "Tenpenny serves up a lethal mix of misinformation and wackadoodle conspiracy."Her Twitter account was permanently suspended on July 1 for violating rules on Covid-19 misinformation.Specifically, it said it has "taken action against many of the pages associated with Dr Tenpenny" on Facebook and Instagram, and taken down an account associated with another of her businesses, Vaxxter.She is particularly active on Telegram, a messaging app banned in some countries over its encryption methods. Her followers there have grown from 100,000 to more than 120,000 in recent weeks. Thousands more have turned to her on Gab, a forum that says it champions free speech.But sales remain the core of her activities."If you are calling in regards to ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine, please dial four," the message adds, referring to unproven Covid-19 treatments."She's a grifter in a lab coat and those are the most dangerous kind," she said of Tenpenny.... Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au