Key points:
- Conflict of interest exposed: Calley Means, an HHS adviser and co-founder of healthcare payments company Truemed, is accused of threatening The Wellness Company’s CEO with retaliation if they didn’t stop allegedly spreading "false information" about his business.
- Government intimidation tactics: Means allegedly warned Gillooly he would escalate the dispute to HHS leadership, including Kennedy and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, in what appears to be an abuse of his federal role.
- Legal and ethical violations: The complaint, filed with multiple agencies, accuses Means of violating federal conflict-of-interest laws by using his government position to pressure a competitor.
- MAHA movement under scrutiny: The feud highlights internal divisions within Kennedy’s health reform coalition, which has purged career bureaucrats in favor of alternative health advocates — some of whom now face accusations of hypocrisy.
A government employee’s threats and the erosion of trust
The complaint centers on a recorded phone call in which Means allegedly told Gillooly, “If one more thing happens, I’m going to go to Jay Bhattacharya and Bobby and tell him that you and your cadre of Peter McCullough and Kelly Victory are spreading lies and trying to fuck with him and hurt his administration.” The reference to Kennedy (referred to as "Bobby") and Bhattacharya suggests an alarming willingness to weaponize high-level government connections to silence critics — a tactic more reminiscent of a political strongman than a public servant.
Means, who serves as a "special government employee," is permitted to maintain his private business interests while advising HHS. But his dual roles have now collided in a way that legal experts say could constitute a breach of federal ethics rules. “Using the government to essentially weaponize them against a private company is extremely concerning and is a tremendous threat,” said Wellness Company founder Foster Coulson, who denies involvement in the alleged smear campaign.
The battle over pre-tax supplements and corporate retaliation
The feud appears to stem from a post by far-right activist Laura Loomer, who accused Truemed of facilitating tax fraud by auto-generating doctors’ letters for pre-tax health purchases — a claim Means insists is false. While Loomer denies receiving information from Coulson, Means accused The Wellness Company of spreading misinformation to damage Truemed’s reputation.
During the call, Means framed the dispute as a potential business opportunity, telling Gillooly that partnering with Truemed could save his customers 30-40% on supplements. But his tone quickly turned menacing: “I am going to sue the shit out of you and escalate this if it continues.” Legal experts warn that such threats, when made by a federal employee, could constitute coercion.
A test for Kennedy’s MAHA movement
The scandal presents a critical test for RFK Jr.’s health reform agenda, which has rapidly reshaped HHS by ousting career officials and elevating alternative medicine proponents. While the MAHA movement champions transparency and anti-corruption, this incident reveals a troubling double standard — where some insiders appear to exploit their power just as ruthlessly as the bureaucrats they replaced.
Gillooly’s complaint, filed with the Office of Special Counsel, HHS Office of Civil Rights, and FTC, demands accountability. “I think there needs to be a thorough investigation because this sort of behavior has no place in the federal government,” he told POLITICO.
As the investigation unfolds, one thing is clear: If the MAHA movement truly stands for liberty and ethical governance, it must root out hypocrisy within its own ranks — before the public loses faith entirely.
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