Carson Denies Involvement With Supplement Company That Funded Him
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Ben Carson denied at Wednesday night’s debate any involvement with a controversial nutritional supplement company, Mannatech. But he’s been involved with them for years and has benefited financially from them.
He’s appeared in infomercials. He admits the company helped fund his endowed chair at Johns Hopkins. He even endorsed their product during the GOP debate Wednesday. But one thing he denies? Having “any kind of relationship with them.” Huh?
The question came up midway through the GOP debate, when Carl Quintanilla asked if Carson’s judgment should be questioned in light of his involvement with the company—an allegation Carson categorically denied, unironically terming it “total propaganda.”
Quintanilla: There’s a company called Mannatech, a maker of nutritional supplements, with which you had a ten-year relationship. They offered claims that they could cure autism, cancer. They paid $7 million dollars to settle a deceptive marketing lawsuit in Texas, and yet your involvement continued. Why?
Carson: Well, it’s easy to answer. I didn’t have an involvement with them. That is total propaganda and this is what happens in our society. Total propaganda. I did a couple of speeches for them, I did speeches for other people, they were paid speeches, it is absolutely absurd to say that I had any kind of relationship with them. Do I take the product? Yes. I think it’s a good product.
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Carson is either lying or has a very short memory.
the Wall Street Journal pointed out earlier this month, has often made reference to a long and lucrative association with the company that he says has been good for both his career and his health.
For example: he said in a 2011 speech that Mannatech funded a portion of his $2.5 million endowed chair at Johns Hopkins. (His campaign now says he spoke incorrectly; the university says it won’t release fundraising information without the company’s consent, which has not been given.) The Journal reports he earned $42,000 for his most recent speech for the company.
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