Several San Diego area pharmacies were notified Tuesday that they
were about to be shut down, in what U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy called
"hoax" letters.
"This office did not issue those press releases," Duffy said. "We are
looking into the source of the emails."
According to the bogus letters, Duffy was going to continue her
opposition to marijuana dispensaries and shut down pharmacies she
believed were not in compliance with prescription drug laws.
The fake letters were sent out in cooperation with the San Diego
Chapter of Americans for Safe Access, Canvass for a Cause and The Yes
Men, a group infamous for pulling satirical pranks on mass media, ASA
and Canvass for a Cause representatives said.
The Yes Men’s Mike Bonanno also confirmed the group helped medical
marijuana advocates carry out the hoax as part of their Yes Labs
project.
Around 8 a.m., media organizations began getting phone calls and
emails reporting the fake crackdown, which threatened closure of the
pharmacies within 45 days.
The fake organization Federal Accountability Coalition claimed
responsibility for the fake emails and letters on the group’s Facebook
page, saying it was done to draw attention to Duffy and her mission to
close medical marijuana dispensaries.
The man who represents himself as Dexter Haight in the video is actually Dave White with the Agitprop Gallery of San Diego.
