Former FDA commissioner Crawford to plead guilty after charged with lying about conflicts of interest

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Jan Drew - 18 Oct 2006 18:50 GMT

http://www.newstarget.com/z020783.html

NewsTarget.com printable article
Originally published October 17 2006
Former FDA commissioner Crawford to plead guilty after charged with lying
about conflicts of interest
(NewsTarget) Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner Lester
Crawford is set to plead guilty today to charges of filing false financial
disclosure forms and conflicts of interest, according to court papers filed
yesterday by the Justice Department.
The government charges that Crawford and his wife owned stock in several
companies that fell under FDA regulation, and failed to fully disclose that
information as required by federal law. The court papers also charge that
Crawford assured federal ethics officers that he and his wife had sold stock
in those companies, when they had not.

Crawford's attorney, Barbara Van Gelder, said that under a plea agreement,
her client would not dispute the government's charges, and would likely face
fines and a possible prison term of up to two years.

"At the end of the day, he owned these stocks and he will admit he owned
them while he was at the FDA and he will take responsibility for that," Van
Gelder said.

The Justice Department found that Crawford and his wife owned stock in
Pepsico Inc., Sysco Corp., Kimberly-Clark Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and
other companies regulated by the FDA. At one point, Crawford -- who owned at
least $140,000 of stock in soda maker Pepsico and food distributor Sysco --
acted as chairman of an FDA panel charged with studying the obesity problem.
Crawford's decision on that panel would have affected both companies.

The court papers also charge that Crawford did not disclose his income from
exercising stock options in agricultural biotechnology company Embrex Inc.,
for which he had been a member of the board of directors.

Crawford -- a food safety expert and veterinarian -- unexpectedly resigned
from his position as head of the FDA in September 2005 without giving
reason. He'd officially held the position for two months, though he had been
acting head of the agency for more than a year.

FDA critic Mike Adams, author of "Grocery Warning," calls the FDA a
"criminal organization" and claims it puts pharmaceutical and food industry
profits ahead of public safety. Adams called the charges against Crawford
"yet another serious blow to the illusion of FDA credibility.

"Crawford's guilty plea now establishes as indisputable fact what myself and
other FDA critics have been saying for years: The agency is headed by
white-collar criminals who deliberately make regulatory decisions that are
in the best interests of drug companies and junk food giants, rather than
protecting the health of the public," Adams said.

Reply to this Message

Coleah - 18 Oct 2006 19:34 GMT

> http://www.newstarget.com/z020783.html
>
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
> obesity problem. Crawford's decision on that panel would have affected
> both companies.

What specific decisions WERE actually made
while he was on that panel?
How did any decision(s) benefit the companies in question?

> The court papers also charge that Crawford did not disclose his income
> from exercising stock options in agricultural biotechnology company Embrex
> Inc., for which he had been a member of the board of directors.

Yup! Fire the CPA......

> Crawford -- a food safety expert and veterinarian -- unexpectedly resigned
> from his position as head of the FDA in September 2005 without giving
> reason. He'd officially held the position for two months, though he had
> been acting head of the agency for more than a year.

Who needs that kind of hassle? When it's all done,
he needs to buy an island in the Pacific and live
happily ever after. (Let some other 'expert' get
raked over the political coals....)

> FDA critic Mike Adams, author of "Grocery Warning," calls the FDA a
> "criminal organization" and claims it puts pharmaceutical and food
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> in the best interests of drug companies and junk food giants, rather than
> protecting the health of the public," Adams said.

Junk Food Giants? Like the Pepsico Corporation?
I think Mr. Adams is a hyperactive 'extremist'.

Check out the evil 'junk food' Pepsico Divisions......

Quaker products:
a.. Quaker Oatmeal
a.. Quaker Instant Oatmeal
a.. Quaker Oatmeal Breakfast Squares
a.. Cap'n Crunch cereal
a.. Life cereal
a.. Quaker Oatmeal Brown Sugar Bliss
a.. Quaker Oatmeal Honey Nut Heaven
a.. Quaker 100% Natural cereal
a.. Quaker Squares cereal
a.. Quisp cereal
a.. King Vitaman cereal
a.. Quaker Oh's! Cereal
a.. Mother's cereal
a.. Quaker grits
a.. Quaker Oatmeal-to-Go
a.. Aunt Jemima mixes & syrups
a.. Quaker rice cakes
a.. Quaker rice snacks (Quakes)
a.. Quaker Chewy granola bars
a.. Quaker Dipps granola bars
a.. Rice-A-Roni side dishes
a.. Pasta Roni side dishes
a.. Near East side dishes
a.. Puffed Wheat
a.. Harvest Crunch cereal
a.. Quaker Baking Mixes
a.. Spudz snacks
a.. Crisp'ums baked crisps
a.. Quaker Fruit & Oatmeal bars
a.. Quaker Fruit & Oatmeal Bites
a.. Quaker Fruit and Oatmeal Toastables
a.. Quaker Soy Crisps
a.. Quaker Bakeries

Tropicana products:
a.. Tropicana Pure Premium juices
a.. Tropicana Twister juice drinks
a.. Tropicana Smoothies
a.. Tropicana Pure Tropics juices
a.. Dole juices (License)
a.. Tropicana 100 juices

Gatorade products:
a.. Gatorade Thirst Quencher
a.. Gatorade Frost Thirst Quencher
a.. Gatorade Ice Thirst Quencher
a.. Gatorade Xtremo Thirst Quencher
a.. Gatorade X-Factor Thirst Quencher
a.. Gatorade Fierce Thirst Quencher
a.. Propel Fitness Water

Pepsi-Cola products:
a.. Pepsi-Cola
a.. Caffeine Free Pepsi
a.. Diet Pepsi
a.. Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi
a.. Pepsi Twist (regular & diet)
a.. Wild Cherry Pepsi
a.. Pepsi Blue
a.. Pepsi ONE
a.. Pepsi Vanilla
a.. Diet Mountain Dew
a.. Mountain Dew Code Red
a.. Diet Mountain Dew Code Red
a.. Mountain Dew LiveWire
a.. Mountain Dew Blueshock
a.. Mountain Dew AMP energy drink
a.. Mug
a.. Sierra Mist (Regular & Diet)
a.. Slice
a.. Lipton Brisk (Partnership)
a.. Lipton Iced Tea(Partnership)
a.. Dole juices and juice drinks (License)
a.. FruitWorks juice drinks
a.. Aquafina purified drinking water
a.. Frappuccino ready-to-drink coffee (Partnership)
a.. Starbucks DoubleShot (Partnership)
a.. SoBe juice drinks, dairy, and teas
a.. SoBe energy drinks (No Fear and Adrenaline Rush)

Frito-Lay products:
a.. Lay's potato chips
a.. Lays Kettle Cooked potato chips
a.. Wavy Lay's potato chips
a.. Baked Lay's potato crisps
a.. Maui Style potato chips
a.. Ruffles potato chips
a.. Baked Ruffles potato crisps
a.. Ruffles Flavor Rush potato chips
a.. Doritos tortilla chips
a.. Baked Doritos tortilla chips
a.. 3D's snacks
a.. Tostitos tortilla chips
a.. Baked Tostitos tortilla chips
a.. Santitas tortilla chips
a.. Fritos corn chips
a.. Cheetos cheese flavored snacks
a.. Rold Gold pretzels & snack mix
a.. Funyuns onion flavored rings
a.. Go Snacks
a.. Sunchips multigrain snacks
a.. Sabritones puffed wheat snacks
a.. Cracker Jack candy coated popcorn
a.. Chester's popcorn
a.. Grandma's cookies
a.. Munchos potato crisps
a.. Smartfood popcorn
a.. Baken-ets fried pork skins
a.. Oberto meat snacks
a.. Rustler's meat snacks
a.. Churrumais fried corn strips
a.. Frito-Lay nuts
a.. Frito-Lay, Ruffles, Fritos and Tostitos dips & salsas
a.. Frito-Lay, Doritos and Cheetos snack crackers
a.. Fritos, Tostitos, Ruffles and Doritos snack kits
a.. Hickory Sticks
a.. Hostess Potato
a.. Lay's Stax potato crisps
a.. Doritos Rollitos
a.. Lay's Fries
a.. Natural Lays
a.. Natural Ruffles
a.. Natural Cheetos
a.. Natural Tostitos
a.. Miss Vickie's potato chips
a.. Munchies snack mix

And then there is the other Junk Food Giant the guy referred to......
http://www.sysco.com/products/products.asp
(note the 'fish', soups and vegetarian products....of 'junk' food it
distributes)

Reply to this Message

Jan Drew - 19 Oct 2006 02:22 GMT

>> http://www.newstarget.com/z020783.html
>>
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
> while he was on that panel?
> How did any decision(s) benefit the companies in question?

You can ask him, while visiting him in jail.

>> The court papers also charge that Crawford did not disclose his income
>> from exercising stock options in agricultural biotechnology company
>> Embrex Inc., for which he had been a member of the board of directors.
>
> Yup! Fire the CPA......

So, you bless him for being dishonest.

>> Crawford -- a food safety expert and veterinarian -- unexpectedly
>> resigned from his position as head of the FDA in September 2005 without
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> happily ever after. (Let some other 'expert' get
> raked over the political coals....)

He made his own bed....You trying to dismiss it.
Oh, forgot, that's what you do with ONE disbarred attorney.

>> FDA critic Mike Adams, author of "Grocery Warning," calls the FDA a
>> "criminal organization" and claims it puts pharmaceutical and food
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> Junk Food Giants? Like the Pepsico Corporation?
> I think Mr. Adams is a hyperactive 'extremist'.

Who cares what you think?

> Check out the evil 'junk food' Pepsico Divisions......
>
[quoted text clipped - 127 lines]
>
>Was that your diet for today?

> And then there is the other Junk Food Giant the guy referred to......
> http://www.sysco.com/products/products.asp
> (note the 'fish', soups and vegetarian products....of 'junk' food it
> distributes)

Been to McDonald's, too?

I have heard obesity is a problem. Have you?

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Jeff - 19 Oct 2006 23:17 GMT

He knew the rules. He broke them. He should go to jail.

Jeff

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