Former FDA Chief Joins Lobby Shop

February 12, 2006

SSRI-Research@

Thu, 9 Feb 2006 23:00:53 -0500

[sSRI-Research] Washington Post - Former FDA Chief Joins

Lobby Shop

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Former FDA Chief Joins Lobby Shop

By Marc Kaufman

Washington Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, February 8, 2006; A06

Former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Lester M. Crawford,

whose sudden resignation last fall after less than three months in

office remains a mystery, has joined a lobbying firm that specializes

in food and drug issues.

Crawford is listed as " senior counsel " to the firm Policy Directions

Inc. Among the companies and organizations listed as clients are

Altria Group Inc. (formerly Philip Morris Companies), Merck & Co.

Inc., the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

(PhRMA,) the Grocery Manufacturers of America and the American Feed

Industry Association. A spokesman for the firm said neither Crawford

nor anyone else wished to discuss his appointment.

When he resigned in September, Crawford said simply that it was time

for someone else to lead the agency. Sens. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and

Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) have asked the Department of Health and

Human Services inspector general to look into whether Crawford

resigned because of an undisclosed financial conflict of interest.

Laura Bradbard, spokeswoman for the office, said yesterday that the

investigation is ongoing and that her office has subpoenaed

information from three financial firms used by the former commissioner.

Crawford is barred from lobbying former colleagues at the FDA for a

year, but he can give clients strategic advice about food and drug

issues and can lobby members of Congress.

Policy Directions was founded by Frankie L. Trull, a prominent

defender of animal testing for medical research and critic of animal

rights groups. On its Web site, the company says Crawford joined last

month but gives no indication what his role will be.

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