Usana Gets SLAPPed Down

Usana Health Sciences is a -- forgive the redundancy -- sleazy Utah company in the nutritional supplement business. As sleazy Utah companies are wont to do, it reacted to criticism by suing the criticizer, Barry Minkow of the Fraud Discovery Institute.

Minkow had prepared an extensive report describing the company's frailities. Well, that certainly would not do. Usana sued, and that great defender of corporate sleaze, Judd Bagley of corporate sleaze palace Overstock.com, chimed in with a typically nauseating mud-sling attack.

So I am delighted to report that today Usana was ordered to pay $142,510 in attorney fees to Minkow under the SLAPP statutes, which punish suers who use the legal system to silence critics.

Congratulations, Barry, and keep up the good work.

© 2008 Gary Weiss. All rights reserved.