Accusations of "misleading and deceptive advertising" have been brought against South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem following the release of a viral dental endorsement video on her social media accounts.
The lawsuit was filed by Travelers United, a consumer advocacy group, in Washington, D.C. The group claims that Governor Noem failed to properly disclose a medical tourism advertisement in the video posted on all her personal social media platforms. This legal action falls under the category of claims related to "travel influencers," as described on the advocacy group's website.
Controversy Surrounds Governor's Infomercial-Style Plug for Dental Group
Noem, a Republican figure potentially eyeing the 2024 presidential race, faced criticism for promoting a cosmetic dental office in a video reminiscent of an infomercial. The clip featured the governor praising Smile Texas for enhancing her smile through a procedure following a biking accident that damaged her teeth.
"I love my new family at Smile Texas!" Noem shared the video on social media, expressing gratitude for the dental office's assistance in improving her smile.
Smile Texas referred to Noem as a "gracious leading lady" who recently obtained a new, elegant smile at their facility. However, the promotion sparked backlash due to allegations of undisclosed financial ties between Noem and the dental group.
A lawsuit claims that Noem failed to disclose her financial relationship with Smile Texas when sharing the promotional content on her personal social media accounts. The suit also accuses her of violating FTC guidelines by not clearly labeling the post as an advertisement.
The lawsuit alleges that Noem, in sharing the Smile Texas plug to her personal social accounts without any sort of label, "advertised a product or service without disclosing that she has a financial relationship with that company." It also accuses the governor of violating a Federal Trade Commission requirement that social posts disclose whether they are advertisements or not with a marker that says, "Ad."
"Governor Kristi Noem is the Governor of South Dakota for a living but seems to have taken up work as a social media influencer as of March 12, 2024," the lawsuit says.
CBS News reached out to Noem's office for a response but did not receive an immediate reply.
The legal action was filed as North Dakota State Senator Reynold Nesiba, a member of the Democratic Party, urged for an inquiry into Noem's widely circulated dental video, as reported by the Associated Press.
"This infomercial raises several concerns," Nesiba stated in a social media post on Wednesday.
