Submitted by Mary Ellen Markowitz, Cos Cob
For the past year, as we collectively battled a pandemic which claimed the lives of over 1 million Americans, most of our elected local delegation advocated for safety measures and urged patience regarding masks. All that is, but one. Representative Kimberly Fiorello chose a different path. She chose to partner with the confrontational local group “Greenwich Patriots” to peddle COVID disinformation and conspiracy theories from discredited doctors.
First, she moderated a “Conversation with Dr. Scott Atlas”in December. A quick search reveals two things about Dr. Atlas: 1) he is an MRI doctor who briefly served in the Trump White House and 2) seventy of his former Stanford University colleagues condemned him for “promot(ing) a view of COVID-19 that contradicts medical science.” Among the actions they condemned were: “discouraging the use of masks and other protective measures, endangering citizens and public officials, showing disdain for established medical knowledge and damaging Stanford’s reputation and academic standing.” The event with Dr. Atlas was hosted by the Federated Republican Women of Southern CT, the same far-right group that took over the Greenwich Republican party in January.
Next up was a symposium Fiorello organized with Yale doctor Harvey Risch. The story is similar, as are the stinging rebukes from medical colleagues. A statement from the Yale Medical faculty states, “We write with grave concern that too many are being distracted by the ardent advocacy of our Yale colleague, Dr. Harvey Risch, to promote the assertion that hydroxychloroquine when given with antibiotics is effective in treating COVID-19.” The statement continued, “As his colleagues, we defend the right of Dr. Risch, a respected cancer epidemiologist, to voice his opinions. But he is not an expert in infectious disease epidemiology and he has not been swayed by the body of scientific evidence from rigorously conducted clinical trials, which refute the plausibility of his belief and arguments.”
Again, rather than assembling a balanced medical panel, Representative Fiorello chose to promote only Dr. Risch’s views to her constituents.
That brings us to the most recent gathering of doctors hosted by Rep. Fiorello: Dr. Peter McCullough and the aptly named Dr. Kelly Victory.
A quick Google search of Dr. McCullough turned up this disturbing article from WebMD: “Baylor University Gets Restraining Order On Covid Skeptic Doctor.”
The Texas-based university apparently did not want its name tarnished by affiliation with cardiologist Dr. McCullough, a former employee, who continued to invoke a Baylor affiliation while spreading falsehoods about the pandemic.
His most infamous assertion is that people under the age of 50 do not need the Covid-19 vaccine. This, despite the fact that 80,000 Americans 50 years of age and under have died from the pandemic.
As for Dr Kelly Victory, an emergency care specialist, suffice it to say that she called for the arrest and criminal prosecution of Dr. Anthony Fauci.
We all know there are a lot of self-described “vaccine experts” out there, whose main objectives appear to be ramping up book sales or securing cozy gigs as contributors to Fox News and Newsmax. But how can a State Representative put the health of her constituents at risk by promoting dangerous medical advice from discredited individuals? Representative Fiorello does not deserve another term and it is up to us to vote her out this November.