NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Dingell, Stupak Press FDA on Public Relations Contract

Washington, DC – Reps. John D. Dingell (D-MI), the Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Bart Stupak (D-MI), the Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, wrote to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), asking for additional information on the agency’s sole source contract with Alaska Newspapers, Inc. (ANI), in which Qorvis Communications served as a subcontractor.   The letter specifically asks that the FDA make available for interviews key FDA staff, including Susan Winkler, the FDA Commissioner’s Chief of Staff, who are associated with the public relations contract. 

“It is disconcerting that the FDA may be spending money on public relations when it is dangerously short of resources it needs to protect our nation’s food and drug supplies,” said Dingell.  “The FDA would be wise to swiftly produce the records we have requested and make available for interviews the FDA staff we need to speak with to complete our investigation.”

“The FDA may have run afoul of Federal procurement and contracting laws while concocting this publicity campaign,” said Stupak. “It is offensive that the FDA is using tax dollars to shore up their public image rather than using these limited resources to patch the gaping holes in our food and drug safety net.  We intend to find out who at FDA thought up this public relations scheme, why they authorized it, and how they justify spending money on it.”

 The letter is the latest in the Committee’s investigation into the FDA’s public relations contract.  In April, the Committee wrote to FDA Commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, expressing concern that the FDA might be wasting resources on public relations.  On October 2, following the response from FDA, Dingell and Stupak wrote to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michael O. Leavitt, requesting additional information. FDA staff members associated with the public relations contract have been advised that, if the Committee’s information requests are not fulfilled by this Friday, they can expect to receive subpoenas.

Read the letter
Additional Information