FDA Staffers Sue Agency

FDA Staffers Sue Agency

the-scientist.com

Current and former employees of the US Food and Drug Administration have filed suit, alleging that their employer spied on them for whistleblowing.

Six people who had served on scientific review committees for the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health have filed a lawsuit against the government agency, claiming that the FDA used spyware to take screenshots of their personal emails and fired some of the plaintiffs for leaking information on potentially unsaf

(visit the link for the full news article)

The FDA staffers were fired for leaking info on unsafe medical devices to the US Congress and the press.

If the public and our elected officials do not have a right to know the truth, who does?

There may be more to this story, but the FDA has been out of control for a long, long time - married to industry, and committed to profit at the expense of public health.

Time for people to SHOUT their support for these guys.

"...Maybe the public doesn’t need to know about how many spies we have in Iran, but they do need to know if a device will increase cancer risks.”

the-scientist.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Evidence that the foxes are guarding the hen house is overwhelming.

Corporate interests now dominate the very agencies created to protect every day citizens. You just know who's side they will come down on in the end.

Gotta love seeing our tax dollars being collected and then used against our very interests.

reply to post by soficrow


Posting a link to the documents!

s3.documentcloud.org...


They have my absolute support, kudos to them and may they stay safe!

reply to post by burntheships


Thanks much for that link.

I need more information the the article gives. It doesn't specify whether the personal emails were at home on their personal computers (which then they would have a case) or if they were monitored at work (where they don't have a leg to stand on).

Originally posted by nixie_nox
I need more information the the article gives.

After FDA employees aired their concerns to the incoming Obama administration in January 2009, the agency began intercepting the emails they sent to congressional staff via government computers, using private Google and Yahoo email accounts, the documents allege.

The FDA also used spyware to capture electronic snapshots of staff computer screens, which the lawsuit says allowed the agency to obtain privately stored whistleblower reports and identify others involved in whistleblower activities.

The accusations are that the Illegal survelliance led to subsequent intimidation going as far as unsuccessful alleged criminal wrongdoing on the part of the whistleblowers.

Selected e-mails and memos were compiled by Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto, the law firm representing the whistleblowers, on behalf of the National Whistleblower Center as part of the lawsuit. www.washingtonpost.com...