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South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was sued in Washington on Wednesday for promoting a Texas dentist on her social media accounts this week.
The lawsuit, filed in the District of Columbia Superior Court by consumer advocacy group Travelers United, alleges that Noem “advertised products and services without disclosing that she had a financial relationship with the company.” . I posted a video She posted on social media on Tuesday about the dental services she received.
In the video, Noem describes consulting with a cosmetic dentistry company known as Smile Texas and subsequently having her teeth adjusted. This video was posted on his Facebook, X, Truth Social, and Instagram.
Doctors at Smile Texas helped Noem adjust her teeth after she lost all of her front teeth in a bicycle accident several years ago, she said in the approximately five-minute video.
“The team here has been amazing and finally made me smile with pride and confidence. I think that’s a really special gift,” Noem said. “I’m here to smile and he chose the Texas team because they’re the best.”
The lawsuit accuses Nomu of “deceptive advertising practices,” which the group claims violates Washington, D.C.’s consumer protection law. It also cites Federal Trade Commission guidelines on including language to distinguish social media posts from advertisements.
The group wrote in its filing that Noem “appears to have begun her career as a social media influencer,” claiming that the video was intended to promote medical tourism and promote its services to D.C. residents. did.
“Companies like Smile Texas rely on influencers like Kristi Noem to promote their products and services to their followers,” said a filing filed by Travelers United attorney Lauren Wolf. “We are paid a fee for this purpose.”
“There was no disclosure that this was an advertisement or that she received free or discounted medical treatment in exchange for this social media advertisement,” the document added.
The group asked the court to order Nomu to pay punitive damages in the amount set at trial, award statutory damages to Travelers United, and prevent Nomu from advertising on social media without disclosure. They are asking for an order to stop it.
Spokespeople for Smile Texas and Ms. Noem did not immediately respond to NBC News’ requests for comment Wednesday night.
Noem is one of the people former President Donald Trump may choose to be his running mate for the Republican presidential nomination.
Her team previously confirmed to NBC News that she met with the former president at Mar-a-Lago on February 26, but did not provide details of the meeting.
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