Tennessee Department of Health (TDOH) official Michelle Fiscus apparently did not purchase a dog muzzle through amazon.com and send it to her state office so she could later frame someone else for the act.
The Nashville-based WSMV reported this week that someone, whom the station did not identify, set up a fraudulent account in Fiscus’ name and then sent the muzzle to Fiscus’ office.
“Now, News4 Investigates has confirmed that on Thursday Fiscus received an email from Amazon reading in part, ‘We believe that an unauthorized party has registered an account with your AmEX ending in 2008.’ The state investigation also found the second Amazon account was using the exact same credit card number on Fiscus’ current credit card.”
But, according to the Amazon email, the fraudulent account, which sent the muzzle on July 1, 2021, was using an AmEx number 2008,” WSMV reported.
“News4 Investigates has received a screen grab of conversations between Fiscus and an American Express representative that confirmed that 2008 number was associated with her old credit card account that she reported lost last year and was closed in 2020. Still, Amazon confirms that old number was used with the fraudulent account to purchase the muzzle in July.”
Fiscus told investigators earlier this year she felt the muzzle was a threat and she should “‘stop talking about vaccinating people.’ The investigation was launched after health department official Paul Peterson alerted the Department of Safety about the apparent threat to Fiscus.”
Fiscus tweeted about the matter last month.
“Regarding the muzzle: I ASKED Homeland Security to investigate the origin. Just provided a redacted HS report by Axios Nashville. Report says a second account was made under my name from a phone in WA? Waiting on unredacted report. Hold tight. No, I didn’t send it to myself,” Fiscus wrote.
“Fiscus went on to tweet that the “account was apparently accessed from the State of Washington, where I had never been, by a cell phone using a carrier I have never used.”
“I have asked the state for the full unredacted report and am awaiting a response,” Fiscus wrote.
TDOH officials fired Fiscus earlier this year. This, after the organization received backlash from lawmakers for vaccine outreach to minors.
Fiscus blamed elected leaders in the state for the decision.
“I am ashamed of them. I am afraid for my state. I am angry for the amazing people of the Tennessee Department of Health who have been mistreated by an uneducated public and leaders who have only their own interests in mind,” she said at the time.
Before her firing, Fiscus directed the TDHO’s Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunization Program (VPDIP).
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
