The Huckster, as many have noted, has been seen frequently on TV parroting a claim for Relaxium as a “clinically proven” sleep aid.
The claim led to a class-action lawsuit that, in short, called BS. It said Relaxium is a garden variety herbal remedy of no proven value. It sought millions in damages on behalf of buyers. Huckabee is not a party to the case so he has no liability, just as when a huge verdict was returned over robocalls voiced by Huckabee to promote a faith-based movie.
In November, the maker of Relaxium, American Behavioral Research Institute, and the plaintiff in the federal lawsuit in New York indicated they had reached a tentative settlement of the lawsuit. The judge in the case discontinued action as a result on Nov. 15, subject to reopening the case if a settlement wasn’t completed in 60 days.
No details of the settlement have been revealed.
The development prompted renewal of criticism of Mike Huckabee for his shilling on Jason Bagley’s Truthinadvertising.org.
Bagley commented on Huckabee’s statement that the product is ” clinically proven to help you fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up refreshed.”
But I located the supporting study in the “research” section of the Try Relaxium website, which doubles down on the “clinically proven” claims and where consumers are told to go to get their “risk-free” bottle, and it contains this bombshell: The study acknowledges that subjects who took Relaxium “reported more difficulty getting to sleep and a lower quality of sleep” than those who were given the placebo.
Bagley goes on to critique the product through other portions of the study and also notes a payment scheme that hooks customers for a credit card charge of $119.90 17 days after ordering a 30-day trial bottle.
Bagley put Huckabee on his Wall of Shame for previous marketing ventures. He notes a diabetes cure and a “free” kids guide that wasn’t free. He quotes Huckabee telling a CBS newsman asking about his marketing work: “I don’t have to defend everything that I’ve ever done.”
