FDA Spied on Scientists Who Warned of Radiation Dangers
July 16, 2012 by Staff
In what may become a massive violation of the RICO Act, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration conducted an extensive spying campaign against its own scientists, reports the New York Times.
The spying, which would have a chilling effect on reporting concerns of public health and safety violations, began after the scientists warned the FDA had faultily approved medical imaging devices that endangered patients with high levels of radiation. The spying operation led the agency to monitor the scientists’ computers at work and at home, copying emails and thumb drives and even monitoring individual messages line-by-line as they were being composed in real time.
In a statement, the National Whistleblowers Center said: “The conduct by FDA managers, designed to undermine a group of doctors and scientists who reported significant health and safety violations, is deplorable. … We hope that the revelations … will mark a turning point in the battle to stop the retaliatory surveillance of whistleblowers who risk their careers to report misconduct.”
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