Monsanto Exec Heads FDA, and the Obama Administration’s Revolving Door Politics

Despite their animus history, Barack Obama seems to be warming to the K Street corporate lobbyists he once adamantly denounced.

In 2009, in a classic revolving-door move, President Barack Obama appointed former Monsanto VP and head lobbyist Michael Taylor as Deputy Commissioner for the FDA — the board tasked with regulating Taylor’s own industry.

Taylor joins the growing list of public officials formerly employed by Monsanto, a worldwide food giant oft-criticized for its poor environmental record and repeated aggressive legal action against small farmers over copyright issues.

“I don’t take a dime of their [lobbyist] money, and when I am president, they won’t find a job in my White House,” Obama said in a 2008 campaign speech. A little research, however, shows that claim to be a questionable one.

While the FDA’s headquarters are technically located in Maryland and not the White House, this appointment took place just seven months into the Obama presidency, with few noticing until this online petition gained popularity this weekend.

Also worth noting: how many dimes Obama has already accepted from Washington lobbyists for his 2012 campaign — more than 14,000 dimes, to be exact...

https://petovera.com/monsanto-exec-heads-fda-and-the-obama-administrations-revolving-door-politics/