FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: John Becker, Director of Communications
Phone: 920-265-6023
Email: john@truthwinsout.org
BURLINGTON, Vt. – The heated standoff between Truth Wins Out and Marcus Bachmann abruptly ended today after the therapist agreed to stop trying to collect $150 from TWO for canceled “ex-gay” therapy sessions. The voice message, left by a Bachmann & Associates’ billing representative, informed TWO Communication’s Director, John Becker, that “[his] account is at a zero balance” and that the charges were written off “per Marcus Bachmann.”
“The last thing we expected was for Marcus Bachmann to behave rationally and abandon his specious and spiteful claim that we owed him money,” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen. “It is a shame that he wasn’t foolish enough to allow a $150 billing dispute to turn into free publicity that highlighted the harm caused by ‘ex-gay’ programs.”
“We feel vindicated that Marcus Bachmann has ended his vindictive campaign to punish us for exposing his clinic’s ‘ex-gay’ therapy practice,” said Truth Wins Out’s Communications Director John Becker. “Reason triumphed over retaliation today — Bachmann made a wise decision to move on with his life and avoid further damage to his reputation.”
Bachmann Backs Down on Bogus Bill by johnmbecker
The clinic, which Bachmann co-owns with his wife Michele, was exposed last summer for practicing a form of discredited “pray away the gay” therapy by a TWO hidden-camera investigation – a charge both Bachmanns had previously denied. The revelation badly disrupted Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign at a time when she was surging in the polls. In November, Marcus Bachmann personally phoned Becker, demanded $150 in no-show fees for two canceled appointments, and threatened to send Becker’s account to collections if he failed to promptly remit payment.
TWO responded with a cease-and-desist letter and promised a lawsuit if Bachmann persisted. TWO launched a Change.org petition that gathered more than 4,000 signatures demanding that Bachmann stop haranguing the organization.
“Ex-gay therapy is rejected by every respected medical and mental health organization in the nation,” added Becker. “This includes the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychological Association.”
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I’m not familiar will US legal terms, but am I right in assuming that in this case a ‘cease and desist’ letter is the equivalent of referring Mr Bachmann to the celebrated reply given in the UK case of Arkell vs Pressdram (1971)?
Come on. This is exactly what anyone should have expected. The last thing he wants to see is his scam and fraud being exposed in court
@1 – I had to look that one up; so in answer, I think basically, yes, only more diplomatic. Bearing in mind the following definition of a diplomat: someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip.
I wish we could “Pray the Bachmann” away.
I wish Mr. Bachmann had proceeded with his collection efforts so that his quackery could be more fully and publicly exposed. Unfortunately for many people around the country, Mr. Bachmann isn’t the only charlatan trying to cash in on the misery of others,a misery which he and his wife help perpetuate.
If Marcus Bachmann is gay, running an ex-gay counseling center because he needs the infamous ex-gay sobriety support group to fake-pray the gay away, would not that make Michelle Bachmann the first beard ever to run for president? First Beard Michelle Bachmann. Hmmm…. I like it.
Aw. I wanted to see the closet case get dragged through court.
[...] Marcus has apparently caved in and decided to stop harassing Becker for the [...]
[...] months later, Truth Wins Out reports that Marcus Bachmann has “written off” the no-show fees: The heated standoff between Truth Wins Out and Marcus Bachmann abruptly ended today after the [...]
[...] even touch the topic of her husband’s “pray away the gay” clinic (which Truth Wins out has been successfully humiliating now for some [...]
[...] 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 the [...]
[...] after TWO’s sting operation in an attempt to collect them. (He didn’t back down until December 2011, after TWO sent a cease-and-desist letter threatening legal action if he didn’t end the [...]