Originally published October 17 2005
Crawford will not cooperate with government investigation of FDA
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Lester Crawford, former director of the FDA, did not cooperate with the Government Accountability Office as it began its probe of the FDA's decision to reject an emergency contraceptive widely recommended by health experts.
During the period examined by the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, Crawford was deputy FDA commissioner and then acting commissioner of the agency.
The draft report, which is being reviewed by the FDA and members of Congress, describes the agency's decision-making process on Plan B as highly unusual because officials in the commissioner's office were directly involved and the FDA office directors who normally rule on applications refused to sign the rejection letter.
An FDA advisory panel earlier voted overwhelmingly in favor of the proposal.
In addition, the GAO report indicates that the decision to reject the application was made months before it was announced in May 2004 by Steven Galson, then acting director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
The report says the rejection was discussed at a January 2004 staff meeting when Mark B. McClellan, now head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, was FDA commissioner.
It was unclear yesterday whether McClellan spoke with the GAO.
Many social conservatives oppose any efforts to make emergency contraception more easily available, saying that it can encourage sexual promiscuity, especially among teenagers.
GAO spokesman Paul Anderson said the office can demand documents from federal agencies but cannot compel an official to speak with investigators.
The GAO report says that FDA scientific staff provided studies that indicated the concern was unwarranted but that Galson was not convinced.
Galson has said that their Plan B decision was made within the FDA, without input or pressure from the White House.
But advocates of emergency contraception say the draft report indicates that the rejection was made for political reasons.
Under pressure from Clinton and Murray, Crawford promised to decide on the second application by September but instead put it on indefinite hold in August.
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