FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Video courtesy of WFFF-TV, FOX 44, Burlington VT
Voicemail from Marcus Bachmann by user6446359
Voicemail left by Marcus Bachmann for John Becker; 11/14/11
TWO Demands That Bachmann Stops Petty and Vindictive Threats Over $150 Fraudulent ‘Therapy’ Bill
Burlington, Vt – Truth Wins Out expressed surprise today that Marcus Bachmann personally called the organization demanding $150 for cancelled July sessions of “ex-gay” therapy with a counselor at his office. He threatened that if TWO did not pay him by Friday he would turn the phony bill over to a collection agency.
In July, Truth Wins Out went undercover and exposed Bachmann & Associates for practicing a form of discredited “pray away the gay” therapy. The revelation rocked Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign. After TWO’s John Becker, who went undercover, had enough videotape evidence to prove that “ex-gay” therapy occurred at Bachmann’s clinic, he called the clinic and cancelled his remaining appointments. Despite widespread circulation of TWO’s video footage, Marcus denied the therapy had taken place.
“I cancelled my remaining appointments in compliance with Bachmann & Associates’ stated procedure,” said John Becker, TWO’s Director of Communications and Development, “yet Marcus Bachmann himself called me and threatened to send the fraudulent $150 ‘bill’ to a collection agency by Friday. I find it odd that Bachmann handled this matter personally rather than through his billing department. This is certainly an unorthodox way of doing business, much like the unethical ‘ex-gay’ therapy offered at his clinic.”
“We call on Marcus Bachmann to immediately stop his petty and vindictive campaign of harassment and threats against our organization,” said TWO’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “Perhaps, now that Michele’s campaign is foundering, the Bachmanns are frustrated and looking for scapegoats to explain her failure. Truth Wins Out refuses to be intimidated or blackmailed by Bachmann. This bogus bill will not be paid.”
Becker was surprised when he received a voicemail from Bachmann on Monday demanding payment for cancelled sessions which never took place. On Tuesday, he returned Bachmann’s call and spoke with him for nearly seven minutes in the presence of a reporter from the local ABC/FO
X affiliate in Burlington. The video of the tense exchange can be viewed at Truth Wins Out’s website.
“We saw firsthand that the ‘ex-gay’ therapy practiced by Bachmann & Associates is unethical and unhealthy for clients,” said Becker. “What goes on in that clinic is rejected by every respected medical and mental health organization in America.”
Truth Wins Out is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to create a world where LGBT individuals can live openly, honestly and true to themselves. TWO fights anti-LGBT religious extremism, monitors anti-LGBT organizations, documents their lies and exposes their leaders. TWO specializes in turning information into action by organizing, advocating and fighting for LGBT equality.
Contact: Wayne Besen, Executive Director
Phone: 917-691-5118
E-Mail: wbesen@truthwinsout.org
Contact: John Becker, Director of Communications & Development
Phone: 920-265-6023
E-mail: john@truthwinsout.org
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He is trying to extract some small measure of satisfaction out of this damaging episode. Don’t let him.
If it is really the case that you cancelled all of the remaining sessions and he is wrongfully threatening to submit a non-existent debt to a collection agency, then you have the basis of a lawsuit.
At the very least there would be a claim for negligence. But, assuming the facts bear it out, it would be even more interesting to sue for fraud or some intentional tort (i.e., wrongful conduct that is undertaken intentionally). Why might this be more interesting? Because there would be the possibility of suing for punitive damages, which would open up a lot of areas in which you could demand internal documents and sworn testimony. For example, you might be able to demand documents regarding the clinic’s finances and whether it has engaged in any other deceptive practices. In theory, this could include documents about its deceptive ex-gay therapy, not just deceptive billing practices.
Anyway, I doubt that this dispute will go that far. He probably will not follow through on the threat to submit this to a collection agency. But, as in any good chess game, you should be thinking a few steps ahead, and in particular about how to turn Bachmann’s fit of pique to your advantage.
Me thinks the pot is calling the kettle black.
Mr. Becker obviously committed fraud by
Mis-representing himself and his intentions
B, Bachmann & Associates practices a discredited and dangerous “therapy” in which clients are told the lie that their sexual orientation can be changed — “therapy” that is disavowed by literally every mainstream medical and mental health organization in America because it doesn’t work and instead increases the patient’s risk of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts and actions — and you’re telling ME that I was in the wrong for going undercover to expose them? That’s utterly absurd.
b Anderson’s always absurd. He’s a mindless apparatchik for fundamentalists. He has no mind of his own and spits out the talking points that he’s handed.
Send him $150 worth of glitter. In a lot of envelopes.
“b anderson”; aka: PORNO PETE ??
[...] weren’t there so we can’t be sure, but when Marcus Bachmann personally called John Becker yesterday whining about $150 for “pray away the sessions” that he did not administer, he may have [...]
I personally volunteer to pick up the tab, as long as Bachmann will agree to accept my payment of 15,000 pennies.
That’s my final offer.
Don’t pay that bill. I bet Bachmann’s office got the cancellation but they decided to disregard it.
How do places like this exist without being sued out of existence? Don’t pay. This makes them look increasingly stupid. Which is good.
Bill, if you’re willing to pay him $150 that was never owed for an attempt to harm its victim that never actually happened, can I have $200?
I mean, I never even did any of that unethical (and illegal, no?) crap, which is obviously superior.
B, you should look up what taking money for a non-delivered product is, and then what telling things that are not true.
John was lying. It’s not illegal, and sometimes is for the greater good.
Bachman is committing fraud. It is illegal, and is usually for the perpetrator’s good.
“Despite widespread circulation of TWO’s video footage, Marcus denied the therapy had taken place.”
Did Marcus charge for the phantom therapy as well? How many kinds of fraud can he commit?
Funny…a supposed “therapist” who lectures his client about responsibility, on the phone, when calling to get a bill paid. Where was that aforementioned responsibility when the Bachmann’s initially even denied offering the “ex-gay” therapy that they claim you owe money on? When it comes to Marcus, this situation isn’t business; it’s personal.
You know that TV show where using computer chat rooms seemingly underage females use deception to lure and entrap pedophiles. The pedophiles come to an assigned location,legally compromise themselves while being video taped whereupon the police arrest them. Police not surprisingly use deception and undercover cops to crack down on criminal activity all the time. b. Anderson’s posted comment of, “Me thinks the pot is calling the kettle black.
Mr. Becker obviously committed fraud by
Mis-representing himself and his intentions.” is wrong. There is no fraud involved. People like Marcus Bachmann who are involved in unethical activities just do not voluntarily hold up their own actions to the light of day. They hide behind the lie of their religion and self righteousness. The only way to expose their bad behavior has to be by “misrepresenting”. One must remember that unlike Bachmann TWO’s John Becker did not hide his fiction, quite the reverse, he went public with it.
[...] pay up by Friday, Mr. Bachmann said he’d turn the bill over to a collection agency. The group put the phone message on its [...]
Of course they got the call to cancel the appointments. Mr. Bachmann is just being the petulant pansy that he really is.
[...] to Bachmann & Associates today on behalf of Truth Wins Out demanding that he cease and desist from harassing the organization. TWO will also launch a petition on Change.org urging people to contact Bachmann [...]
John:
I was at the clinic when you “no showed” for the first of your 2 no show appointments. These appointments happened after your story broke on the news, there was no way you would have cancelled these prior to that or you would have raised suspicion. You were not truthful about why you were coming in, you were not truthful with the therapist, you were not truthful with your reporting (editing your video to meet your needs & back your lies) and you are not truthful now in admitting that you made 2 appointments that you did not cancel and you owe for. You are getting yet another “sensational” story out of your lies and I am sure that is fitting your agenda. The idea of “reparative” or “Pray the Gay Away” therapy was started by the media and you were going to manufacture the evidence to back it. I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt, that type of therapy does not happen at Bachmann & Associates. Yet the lie persists…it makes for good media.
Just curious how any of us are supposed to have a healthy dialogue about these issues if these kind of lies continue? How is change supposed to happen? Or is that even a goal anymore.
I guess honesty doesn’t make for a very good story…at least not one you can sell to the media.
You’ve got your timetable all screwed up, L. Brewer: I cancelled my appointments on July 4; they were originally scheduled for July 5 and 7. (Did you even listen to Marcus Bachmann’s voicemail? He even mentions those EXACT dates.) The story didn’t break in the media until July 8. How about you get your facts straight before wantonly making baseless accusations?
As to your other charges: I dare you, Marcus Bachmann, or anyone else to repeat or perpetuate the lie that the video I personally took was selectively edited in any way. Nearly every major media outlet in the country, including the New York Times, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and the Associated Press (along with overseas media outlets including French National Television), has seen our footage in its entirety and can corroborate its authenticity. Furthermore, I possess literally no video editing skills, so I couldn’t edit those videos even if I tried to do so.
Your assertion that reparative therapy is some kind of media fabrication is so ridiculous it doesn’t even merit a response.
And regarding your appraisal of my honesty: going undercover was the only way to find the truth about whether or not the Bachmann clinic offered “pray away the gay” therapy. We hear every day from survivors of these traumatic programs, many of whom have injuries that take years — sometimes a lifetime — to heal. Marcus and Michele Bachmann make money by victimizing and abusing LGBT people, and we were ABSOLUTELY justified in exposing them for that, even if it meant going undercover. I have absolutely no regrets.
L. Brewer:
John will respond. But I want to make one point crystal clear. We did not edit the video at all. If you or Bachmann & Associates makes this false allegation — our attorneys will be directed to sue the clinic and you personally. So, I would seriously refrain from such a libelous claim.
[...] missed therapy sessions. He missed two after he got the footage he wanted and now Marcus himself has been calling Becker to collect the $150 that Becker still owes [...]
[...] Truth Wins Out has posted the phone message on their website. [...]
If it wasn’t for all the damage Bachman does with his bogus therapy, this would be funny. But a lot of innocent people are getting hurt when they are obviously the most vulnerable. Any decent human being would be ashamed for causing these people emotional harm, but as we can see, Marcus Bachman isn’t a decent human being, as he continues to subject people to his bogus therapy that has been rejected by ever legitimate psychiatric organization in American and most other parts of the world. I’d love to have 10 minutes alone with Marcus Bachman and give him a peace of my mind. I know how damaging reparative therapy can be as I got a taste of it first hand in the 80s. Needless to say, once I got my head “straight” (excuse the pun), I fired the psychiatrist. It’s too bad people that still use reparative can’t have their licenses pulled for practicing bogus therapy.
[...] pay up by Friday, Mr. Bachmann said he’d turn the bill over to a collection agency. The group put the phone message on its [...]
I just viewed the video of John Becker’s return call to Bachmann. Bachmann’s choice of words is very telling. He says “We’re going to send you to a collection agency…whatever it takes to get the truth out of you”. First of all, you don’t send people to a collection agency, you send bills, which demonstrates that this imbecilic threat is meant personally to try to coerce John Becker into recanting his truthful exposure of this bigot’s phony clinic. Great that the lawyer’s letter was sent after that putting Bachmann on notice. Also, after doing such a fantastic job of exposing this hypocrite, Becker said he “wasn’t asking for trouble”. But it was, in fact, Bachmann that was asking for trouble by defrauding the public and bilking the government for unethical and misrepresented “counseling” services.
Also, as for L. Brewer’s libelous comment, the lack of basic intelligence is startling. In addition to the other obvious lies, he knows “beyond a shadow of a doubt” that reparative therapy does not go on at the clinic. Fascinating. So this clown presumes to know exactly what goes on behind the closed doors of all counseling sessions at the clinic and that this discredited garbage never happens despite all the evidence. I guess this is the same kind of “urban legend” as Michele’s defense that she never said the President held “un-American views”. Brewer really does protest too much, as does Bachmann. The very fact that he has to accuse John Becker of editing the tape is an admission that the tape is, in fact, incriminating!
Julian said “I just viewed the video of John Becker’s return call to Bachmann.”.
I wanted to see it but couldn’t find it. Could someone please post a link?
Don’t you dare pay that homophobe one dollar, John. Let the story blow up, along with Michele’s chances of ever becoming President, Vice President or Secretary of Whatever. In fact, if you do decide to pay him anything, pay him two cents… as in, giving him your own two cents on why he’s a raving freaking lunatic. He should also come out of the closet already. I bet he’s on Grindr.
Markie Bachmann has spoken to the press about this. YOU SHOULD SUE HIM FOR BREAKING HPAA FEDERAL LAW!!!!!
[...] Vt. – The heated standoff between Truth Wins Out and Marcus Bachmann abruptly ended today after the therapist agreed to stop [...]
[...] the Bachmann clinic scandal went viral. Inspired by that conversation, I ran a search on my old buddy Marcus, and much to my surprise, I found out that as recently as last month he was still rehashing [...]