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Kevin Trudeau in contempt for not paying $37M fine
Kevin Trudeau
Photo By The Chicago Sun-Times, John Kim
CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge has found author and infomercial pitchman Kevin Trudeau in contempt of court for failing to pay a more than $37 million fine imposed over misleading ads for one of his wildly popular weight-loss books.
Friday's ruling was the latest round in more than a decade of legal battles that began with a suit filed by the Federal Trade Commission. The regulatory agency alleged some of Trudeau's informercials included false and misleading statements about his books.
A federal judge in Chicago agreed and ordered him to stop. Then in 2007, Judge Robert Gettleman fined Trudeau $37.6 million for violating the order.
On Friday, Gettleman said Trudeau failed to pay and ordered him to transfer ownership of companies and financial accounts to a court-appointed receiver. Gettleman found him in contempt, opting not to give him jail time out of concern that those hurt by his actions would never get compensated.
More at http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Pitchman-in-contempt-for-not-paying-37M-fine-4690961.php?cmpid=hpbn .