News Release Announced Fake Supreme Court Decision
A press release issued last Friday announced a 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court decision holding that Javelin Pharmaceuticals had lawfully released and marketed its pain products.
The announcement had some curious details. Justice Clarence Thomas “was particularly influential in swaying the vote,” it said. And for some reason, there had been a habeas petition in the case that was denied by Justice Antonin Scalia.
The press release was a fake, according to editorsweblog.org and the Boston Globe. It was issued a day after another hoax release involving General Mills.
The Supreme Court press release had been sent to Business Wire by an unknown third party, who didn’t use Javelin’s e-mail, Javelin said in a for-real press release. Law enforcement authorities have been contacted.
A man who answered the New Zealand contact number on the releases told a Globe reporter he sent the Javelin information to push press-release companies to step up their security. He said he has since been contacted by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Business Wire quickly retracted the release and is no longer accepting releases by e-mail. Instead customers must use an online password-protected system.
