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Notorious televangelist Jim Bakker is the focus of ABC's upcoming episode of The Con. In the new episode, the makers will delve deep into Bakker's return to televangelism after his release from prison.
Bakker made headlines when he started selling a supposed coronavirus cure in 2021. Called the ''Silver Solution,'' he claimed that the solution could cure coronavirus on his talk show.
According to health authorities, the solution is toxic and could alter the skin color of consumers. A lawsuit was eventually filed against Bakker by the governments of Missouri and Arkansas. Without further ado, keep reading to find out more details about Jim Bakker's return to evangelism after his release from jail, COVID cure claims, and more.
The Con on ABC: Jim Bakker's return to evangelism, controversial COVID cure solution and more
In the late 80s, criminal charges were brought against Jim Bakker after reports of fraudulent fundraising activities pertaining to his show, The PTL Club, were revealed. He hosted The PTL Club with his then wife, Tammy Faye. He was indicted on eight counts of mail fraud, apart from 15 counts of wire fraud, and a single count of conspiracy.
The grand jury concluded with Bakker being found guilty on all charges. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to 45 years in jail and was also reportedly ordered to pay a fine of $500,000.
Bakker was released after serving only five years of his sentence. He returned to televangelism in 2003, starting his own religious daily talk show called The Jim Bakker Show along with his second wife, named Lori. Throughout the 2010s, Bakker made several controversial political statements, including one wherein he predicted a Second American Civil War if then-President Donald Trump was impeached.
In February 2020, Bakker started advertising a product that he claimed could ''kill'' the coronavirus. He reportedly sold the ''Silver Solution'' for $125. Baker mentioned the product in an episode of The Jim Baker Show, titled A Close Look at What’s Not Being Said About the Coronavirus (Day 1). Bakker said on the show,
''God gave us this product, I believe.....We have it at our home, we have it in cases....We use it all the time....I mean, I don't think I'd have made it without Silver...for my throat and all....This is amazing!''
The Con on ABC: What happened to the lawsuit against Jim Bakker?
The controversial claims soon caught the health authorities' attention, who reportedly mentioned that it's a toxic solution that could permanently change a person's skin color to blue when consumed. Bakker received warning letters from the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration for selling the solution as a cure for coronavirus.
The controversy led to the governments of Missouri and Arkansas filing a lawsuit against Jim Bakker. Bakker's lawyer claimed that his client was being ''unfairly targeted'' by those looking to shut down his religious TV program.
The lawsuit ultimately ended in a settlement, with Bakker and his church being ordered to pay a sum of $156,000 as restitution, apart from restrictions on promoting or selling the product. To this day, Bakker maintains his innocence.
Don't miss ABC's The Con - The Comeback on Thursday, September 1, 2022.
