Former FDA Head Cashes In

Lester Crawford, the veterinarian appointed to head the Food and Drug Administration by President Bush who later resigned the post under a cloud of scandal due to his wife's massive pharmaceutical stock holdings, has now joined a lobbying shop that represents such upstanding clients as Altria (the new face of Phillip Morris) and PhRMA, the lobbying arm of big drugs.

Crawford left his post under allegations of a conflict of interest. He's now cashing in. Even worse, the Washington Post reports that neither Crawford nor his associates at the lobbying firm will comment on his new role.

The people who spend their lives trying to sway our public officials see public comment as beneath them.

What hypocrisy and what an insult to the American people.

--Matt Singer

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