THUGGERY

Litigious Mitt Donor Gags Critics

Threatening to sue bloggers and magazines alike.

Mitt Romney supporter Frank VanderSloot is getting bad press, despite doing seemingly everything in his power to squash it. VanderSloot, CEO of the controversial dietary supplement company Melaleuca, Inc., is also national finance co-chair of Romney’s presidential campaign, and he has made a name for himself among journalists by threatening to file suit against bloggers, newspapers, and magazines that run negative pieces about him and his business. VanderSloot, a devout Mormon whose company has reportedly given $1 million to Restore Our Future, a pro-Romney super PAC, has in the last month used the threat of defamation suits to force Forbes and Mother Jones to kill or force edits of articles not to his liking.