First Gorran Sued Atkins, Now McDonald's

Jody Gorran is a puppet for radical anti-meat groups

It seems that meat-hating opportunitist Jody Gorran is back in the news again stirring up trouble with yet another lawsuit filed against a major company -- this time the company is McDonald's.

You might recall Gorran is the man who got into bed with such extremist vegetarian groups like PETA and their front-group, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) in putting together a baseless lawsuit against Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. for allegedly causing him to suffer from heart disease from being on the Atkins diet (he's even shamelessly warned people that "the Atkins diet could kill you").

After the Atkins company filed for bankruptcy last Fall, Gorran used the opportunity to kick them while they were down to further his own agenda in this debate which has nothing to do with actually winning in court and has more to do with taking advantage of the spotlight while it is burning brightly on him. Even worse, the media LOVES this guy!

But a media watchdog group called The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) is keeping close tabs on Gorran and have taken him to task for his unscrupulous activities abusing the legal system to further his own political and social causes. Gorran is accusing McDonald's of hiring known sex offenders.

The NLPC said Gorran and his PETA pals are using "questionable tactics" such as these lawsuit against Atkins and McDonald's to simply further their "radical, anti-meat agenda."

Among the findings that NLPC released include a very peculiar chain of events about Gorran and his alliances:

- Gorran sued the Atkins diet company only two years ago for allegedly ruining his health.
- Gorran's suit was aided by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).
- In fact, PCRM's lead attorney represented Jody Gorran in his lawsuit against Atkins.
- PCRM is a well-known PETA front group and has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from PETA.
- PCRM founder Neil Barnard is affiliated with an extreme animal rights group named a "Domestic Terror Threat" by the Department of Justice.

To support these statements, NLPC published the following information about Gorran:

JODY GORRAN: A FRONT FOR PETA

Jody Gorran, who recently called for a boycott of McDonald's, is no stranger to liberal activism. In 2004, he brought about a lawsuit against the Atkins Diet, aided by an affiliate of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Gorran's beef with McDonald's is clearly part of a radical anti-meat agenda.

Florida Businessman Jody Gorran Is Calling For A Boycott Of McDonald's, Accusing The Company Of Hiring Sex Offenders. (WTVF-Nashville Website, http://channel5web1.atiba.com, Accessed 5/4/06)

In 2004, The Very Same Jody Gorran Sued The Atkins Diet For Allegedly Ruining His Health. "A businessman sued the promoters of the Atkins Diet and the estate of founder Dr. Robert Atkins, alleging that the low-carb, high-fat meal plan clogged his arteries and threatened his health. The suit by Jody Gorran, filed Wednesday in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, seeks $15,000. Gorran, 53, said Thursday he started the diet in May 2001 because his weight had risen from 140 to 148 pounds. In two months, he said, his cholesterol rose from a normal 146 to an unhealthy 230, and by October 2003, he needed heart angioplasty to clear his arteries." (Jill Barton, "Man Sues Atkins Over Heart Problems He Blames On Diet," The AssociatedPress, 5/27/04)

Gorran's Suit Was Aided By The "Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine." "Atkins Nutritionals was sued by a businessman who alleged that the Atkins diet clogged his arteries and nearly killed him. Jody Gorran, who sued with the aid of the Washington-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine advocacy group, said he started the low-carb, high-fat diet in 2001." ("GAO: Oil Deals Raised Prices," The Washington Post, 5/28/04)

"Gorran Sought The Help Of PCRM, Which Is Providing Legal Counsel." (PCRM, "Fla. Businessman Sues Atkins After Developing Heart Disease While On Diet," Press Release, 5/28/04)

PCRM's Lead Attorney Dan Kinburn Represented Jody Gorran In His Lawsuit Against Atkins. (PCRM Website, http://www.pcrm.org/newsletter/jan05/atkins.html, Accessed 4/4/06)

CNN's Anderson Cooper: "You're Being Assisted By A Group That Supports Vegan Diets" "CNN's ANDERSON COOPER: "Jody, you're suing for $28,000, no punitive damages. You're being assisted by a group that supports vegan diets that's gone after the Atkins Corporation before. Isn't this just really a quest for publicity?" JODY GORRAN: Well, it's a quest for knowledge. ... " (CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees," 5/27/04)

Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine Has Strong Ties To PETA:

PETA Has Directed Funds to PCRM; Both Groups Share Other Ties. "PCRM also has ties to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. An agency called the Foundation to Support Animal Protection has distributed money from PETA to PCRM in the past and, until very recently, did both groups' books. [PCRM Founder Dr. Neal] Barnard and PETA head Ingrid Newkirk are both on the foundation's board." (Mary Carmichael, "Atkins Under Attack," Newsweek, 2/23/04)

PETA Has Donated At Least $592,000 To PCRM. "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has used a tax-exempt affiliate called the Foundation to Support Animal Protection to funnel at least $592,000 to PCRM. This foundation, whose letterhead now shows that it is doing business as 'The PETA Foundation,' has the same mailing address as PETA, and PETA owns its website address. Neal Barnard and PETA co-founder Ingrid Newkirk are two of the Foundation's three officers. Barnard is its President. And PETA itself directly gave PCRM over $265,000 between 1988 and 1999." (Activist Cash Website, http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/23, Accessed 5/3/06)

To View PDFs Of The Donations, See: http://www.animalscam.com/references/peta_pcrm1.cfm

PCRM Has A Radical Agenda Based On Politics, Not Science:

"Less Than 5 Percent Of PCRM's Members Are Physicians." (Mary Carmichael, "Atkins Under Attack," Newsweek, 2/23/04)

PCRM Founder Dr. Neal Barnard Is Affiliated With A Group Named A "Domestic Terrorist Threat" By The DOJ. "[PCRM Founder Dr. Neal] Barnard has co-signed letters, on PCRM letterhead, with the leader of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, an animal-rights group the Department of Justice calls a 'domestic terrorist threat.'" (Mary Carmichael, "Atkins Under Attack," Newsweek, 2/23/04)

PCRM Leaked Dr. Atkins' Private Medical Records After His Death, Falsely Claiming He Died From His Own Diet Plan. NBC's EDIE MAGNUS: "It turns out that Gorran's case has been championed -- and is being paid for -- by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, an activist group that promotes a vegan diet with no meat, fish or dairy. An avowed Atkins enemy, they are the same people who leaked Dr. Atkins' medical records after his death and suggested he'd died from his own diet, a claim his doctors disputed." (MSNBC Website, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5137232, Accessed 5/3/06)

Fox News: PCRM Ran Ads Soliciting Atkins Dieters To Sue Their Doctors. DOUG KENNEDY, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: "Mindy is a lawyer for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The group recently released Dr. Atkins' confidential autopsy report. They're now running ads, soliciting so-called Atkins sufferers to sue their doctors. Critics say they're using junk science to promote a PETA agenda." (Fox News Channel's "The Big Story With John Gibson," 2/19/04)

PCRM Founder Barnard Accuses Parents Of "Child Abuse" If They Feed Their Children Meat. "Dr. Neal Barnard may come from a family of cattle ranchers, but he's got a beef against meat. For 19 years, the founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has preached the virtues of veganism, accusing parents of 'child abuse' if they feed their kids so much as a slice of bacon and calling the Atkins-diet logo, a red A, 'the scarlet letter.'" (Mary Carmichael, "Atkins Under Attack," Newsweek, 2/23/04)

THIS IS EXCELLENT INFORMATION TO HAVE THE NEXT TIME YOU HEAR THE NAME JODY GORRAN, PETA OR PCRM IN THE NEWS! Now that you know what they are REALLY about, you will know what to expect.