The president of the Medical Board of California described a "terrifying" ambush, threats, and intimidation from four men she said were wearing jackets indicating they were part of "America's Frontline Doctors," a group that has been widely accused of promoting ineffective or unproven treatments for COVID-19.
In a series of 13 tweets posted on Wednesday, board president Kristina Lawson wrote that on Monday morning, "the group parked their rental SUV near the end of my driveway, and then flew a drone over my house. They watched my daughter drive herself to school and watched me walk out of my house, get in my car, and take my two kids to school."
She characterized the group as one "that peddles medical disinformation, promotes fake COVID-19 treatments, and is under investigation by Congress for stealing millions of dollars from consumers."
Lawson may have been referring to remarks made during a House subcommittee hearing on COVID 2 months ago in which chairman Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) said doctors from the controversial group had ties to SpeakWithanMD.com, which prescribed worthless COVID-19 treatments to patients.
Ambushed in a Dark Parking Garage
In her tweets, Lawson said at least one of the members of the group "had flown across the country to stake me out," then followed her to work at her law practice "and parked the SUV head-to-head with my car in the parking garage."
When she left work that evening, "four men jumped out of the SUV with cameras and recording equipment and confronted me as I tried to get into my car to drive home."
Lawson did not specify the precise location, but one of the offices of her law firm, Hanson Bridgett, is in Walnut Creek, where Lawson previously served as elected mayor. Lawson is one of the firm's managing partners.
When law enforcement arrived, the group "indicated that it just wanted to interview me," Lawson tweeted. But she said they never contacted the agency's press office to request an interview, nor did the group contact the law firm where she works or ask the firm for an interview with her.
"Instead they ambushed me in a dark parking garage when they suspected I would be alone. The private investigator traveling with them told law enforcement they are producing a video about me that will include footage of my house and neighborhood, and, of course, me," tweeted Lawson.
Ambushed in a Dark Parking Garage
In response to a request from MedPage Today for an interview, Lawson described the event as one of "terror."
"I believe deeply in a robust public dialogue about healthcare," she said in an emailed statement. "But it is one thing to protest at the state building; this sort of terrifying behavior is just beyond the pale. As a mother, I felt deeply violated and scared for my kids in our own home -- and I feared for my own personal safety as a woman being surrounded by strange men in a dark parking garage."
"I decided to go public about what happened to me to shed light on these reprehensible, unacceptable tactics of intimidation -- but like other Californians who believe in both science and fair play, I will not be intimidated," she wrote in the email.
Jason Overman, a publicist who Lawson confirmed was representing her, said Lawson told him that the group "announced themselves to her -- and had logos on their jackets and microphones -- as America's Frontline Doctors."
That group is led by Simone Gold, MD, a Los Angeles-based physician with a California license to practice medicine, although there is no information that she was involved in Monday's incident with Lawson.
Gold, who had practiced as an emergency room physician, has appeared in numerous public forums advocating that people avoid getting vaccinated against COVID-19, has opposed lockdowns to prevent spread of the virus, and persuaded patients to instead purchase drugs shown to be ineffective or unproven.
Gold told the Washington Post that she has been fired from two hospital jobs since participating with other physicians in a July 2020 news conference at the Supreme Court, where she spread misinformation about government efforts to contain the virus.
She also was arrested for her role in storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, where she was caught on video making a speech to rioters inside the building.
Lawson is a 6-year gubernatorial appointee who presides over the agency that licenses 145,300 of the nation's allopathic physicians -- making it the largest in the nation -- and is the daughter of a physician. She noted in her tweets that she volunteers her time with the medical board "because I believe in giving back to the state and the communities that have given my family and me so much."
Her role, she said, means "protecting Californians from bad doctors, and ensuring disinformation and misinformation do not detract from our work to protect patients and consumers." She said she will continue despite "an organized effort to scare me away from it."
She noted in her tweets that COVID-19 has killed nearly 800,000 people in the U.S. "We must remain vigilant against new variants and against those that peddle fake, dangerous misinformation. Vaccines are safe, effective, and free -- they prevent serious illness and save lives." And posted a link to information on the vaccines.
Richard Pan, MD, a pediatrician and California state senator, said he strongly condemns what he called the group's "stalking and harassment" of Lawson.
"Anti-vaccine extremists and others who peddle disinformation know they cannot succeed with facts and science, so they resort to personal attacks," Pan said.
"We will all be harmed if public servants are bullied for protecting us," said Pan. "The perpetrators of these threats need to be held responsible and I implore law enforcement, to investigate and hold these extremists accountable for any laws that have been broken."
Public Health Under Pressure
In July, the board of directors of the Federation of State Medical Boards warned the nation's physician workforce that those among them who generate and spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation or disinformation risk disciplinary action from their state licensing agencies.
But California's board to date has taken no action against Gold. It is not known whether any investigation of her activities is underway.
In a statement late Wednesday, the board's executive director Bill Prasifka said he condemns "any attempt to intimidate Board members and staff or subjugate the Board's mission of consumer protection. The California Highway Patrol, Walnut Creek Police Department, and the Department of Consumer Affairs have been notified about this matter. Further, all Board members and staff have been informed about the incident, advised to remain vigilant to their surroundings, and provided security reminders."
Hundreds of public health officials across the country have received insults, threats of violence, and harassment for trying to enforce COVID-19 restrictions, closures, lockdowns, or mask and vaccine requirements. As of February, some 190 such officials had resigned, retired, or been fired due to political pressure, skepticism, and misinformation.
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