Government
Former FDA chief pleads guilty
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Nov. 6, 2006
Lester M. Crawford, DVM, PhD, former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to charges that he falsely reported his ownership of stocks in firms that were regulated by his agency.
Dr. Crawford, who abruptly left the agency's top post in September 2005 after having been confirmed by the Senate less than three months earlier, faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine for each of the two misdemeanor charges when he is sentenced in January. The charges stem from his failure to disclose a conflict of interest by owning shares in FDA-regulated companies such as Kimberly-Clark, PepsiCo and Sysco, as well as false statements he made regarding this ownership. Senior officials at the agency are not allowed to invest in firms that fall under the FDA's jurisdiction.
A former veterinarian, Dr. Crawford currently works for the lobbying firm Policy Directions in Washington, D.C.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/11/06/gvbf1106.htm.