Is it just a matter of time before the Texas Attorney General files a lawsuit against Mannatech?


Star-Telegram:

As a proponent of alternative medicine and the driving force behind
a Grand Prairie charity, Dr. H. Reginald McDaniel portrays himself as a
lonely warrior battling the forces who consider drugs the only way to
treat disease.

"Serving" is how the Mansfield physician often signs off on his correspondence.

The question is, Who’s being served?

For years, McDaniel’s charity, known as the Fisher Institute for
Medical Research, has concentrated on funding and publishing studies
favorable to the dietary supplements developed by Mannatech Inc., while
he has received millions of dollars in stock and cash from the company.

The relationship between the institute and the network-marketing
company, detailed in public records and other documents, raises the
issue of whether the charity has been misused.

"The information you have shared with me about the relationship
between Mannatech and the Fisher Institute does not pass the smell
test," wrote Jan Soifer, an Austin lawyer who previously served as
chief of the Texas attorney general’s charitable trusts section, after
examining documents provided by the Star-Telegram.

Under McDaniel’s guidance, the institute has periodically published
a journal devoted almost entirely to articles and studies portraying
the potential effectiveness of Mannatech’s products, known as
glyconutrients, in dealing with various diseases and conditions. The
journal, called Proceedings, has become a sales tool for Mannatech associates, who build "downlines" by persuading others to buy the company’s products.