Friday, May 8, 2020
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Explosive Whistleblower Complaint by Ousted HHS Official Says He Was Pressured to Give Contract to Trump-Friendly Pharma Firm
Vaccine expert Dr. Rick Bright was ousted from his HHS position last month in what he called a "retaliatory demotion."
by
Julia Conley, staff writer
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/05/explosive-whistleblower-complaint-ousted-hhs-official-says-he-was-pressured-give
A federal scientist filed a formal whistleblower complaint Tuesday, weeks after being reassigned from his position at the Health and Human Services Department following a clash with Trump administration officials over untested Covid-19 treatments that the president was promoting.
Dr. Rick Bright, an immunology expert and until last month the director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), said in addition to retaliation for objecting to President Donald Trump's public insistence that hydroxychloroquine was effective at treating Covid-19, he faced sustained pressure from HHS officials since the beginning of the Trump administration to steer millions of dollars in contracts to the client of lobbyist John Clerici.
Multiple times beginning in 2017, when Trump took office, Bright was pressured to extend a government contract to Aeolus Pharmaceuticals, a client of Clerici's. In addition to being Clerici's client, Aeolus's CEO was a friend of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor.Clerici has a "longstanding connection" to Dr. Robert Kadlec, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, according to the complaint.
Bright refused to extend the contract, leading to discord between him and his superiors at the department. The tension steadily grew as Kadlec and other officials urged Bright to transfer $40 million from BARDA to the Strategic National Stockpile in 2018 to purchase a drug made by manufacturer Alvogen, another of Clerici's clients, among other disagreements.
According to the complaint (pdf), "Dr. Kadlec's frustration with and animus towards Dr. Bright reached its breaking point when, after the emergence of Covid-19, Dr. Bright resisted efforts to fall into line with the administration's directive to promote the broad use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine and to award lucrative contracts for these and other drugs even though they lacked scientific merit and had not received prior scientific vetting."
Bright also wrote in the 89-page complaint that he encountered pushback in January when he called on HHS to begin developing resources in preparation for treatment and vaccine research as the Covid-19 pandemic reached the United States.
"It was clear to Dr. Bright almost immediately that the virus was highly contagious, spreading rapidly, and could have a high mortality rate," the complaint reads. "Dr. Bright and his staff recognized the urgent need to obtain genetic sequencing information about the virus and to acquire viruses and clinical specimens from people infected with the virus to share with laboratories and companies... Dr. Bright initially encountered indifference which then developed into hostility from HHS leadership, including Secretary Azar, as Dr. Bright and his staff raised concerns about the virus and the urgent need to act."
The department leadership grew increasingly hostile toward Bright after he communicated with members of Congress, the press, and some White House officials—including trade advisor Peter Navarro—about the need to act urgently to confront the pandemic.
As CNN reports, Bright is now scheduled to testify to Congress as early as next week on the charges included in his complaint:
Bright filed the whistleblower complaint with the Office of Special Counsel about two weeks after being reassigned to the National Institutes of Health. According to the complaint, after removing Bright from his post at BARDA, HHS officials "unleashed a baseless smear campaign against him, leveling demonstrably false allegations about his performance in an attempt to justify what was clearly a retaliatory demotion."
The complaint calls for a reversal of Bright's reassignment as well as a full investigation into his charges of cronyism at the department.
Despite CDC Prediction of Surging Death Rate to Come, Pence Confirms Trump's Coronavirus Task Force Winding Down
"They are just going to declare victory, let thousands die, and hope nobody cares too much."
by
Eoin Higgins, staff writer
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/05/despite-cdc-prediction-surging-death-rate-come-pence-confirms-trumps-coronavirus
President Donald Trump's coronavirus taskforce is winding down, Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday, with operations expected to conclude by June 1—the very same day an internal document from the Centers for Disease Control predicts will mark a doubling of daily deaths from the disease.
"They are just going to declare victory, let thousands die, and hope nobody cares too much," tweeted journalist Jack Mirkinson.
The New York Times broke the news Tuesday afternoon, reporting that the committee's "gradual demise, which officials said might never be formally announced, would only intensify the questions about whether the administration is adequately organized to address the complex, life-and-death decisions related to the virus and giving adequate voice to scientists and public health experts in making policy."
Pence confirmed the report to the press later Tuesday, saying that the taskforce would aim to end its mission by Memorial Day or June 1 and delegate managing the outbreak to federal agencies.
"It really is all a reflection of the tremendous progress we've made as a country," Pence said of the taskforce's closure.
As of press time, 1.22 million Americans were confirmed infected with the disease and 71,148 had died. The death toll is expected rise, according to internal CDC projections published by news outlets on Monday, which showed the daily death rate could increase from its current 1,700 to 3,000 by June 1.
"Mission Abandoned," tweeted writer Craig Mazin.
Though the White House is wrapping up the taskforce's efforts, a "shadow" group run by presidential advisor and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner will remain in place. That committee, which is expected to continue operations, is reportedly being run by inexperienced volunteer staffers.
According to the Washington Post:
About two dozen employees from Boston Consulting Group, Insight, McKinsey, and other firms have volunteered their time—some on paid vacation leave from their jobs and others without pay—to aid the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to administration officials and others familiar with the arrangement.
Although some of the volunteers have relevant backgrounds and experience, many others were poorly matched with the jobs they were assigned, including those given the task of securing personal protective equipment, or PPE, for hospitals nationwide, according to a complaint filed last month with the House Oversight Committee.
The volunteers are expected to prioritize communicating with Trump allies, including Fox News personalities with ties to the White House like Brian Kilmeade and Jeanine Pirro.
Nurses Call on Pelosi to Enact Remote Voting So House Can Deliver Urgent Covid-19 Relief
"Our government has treated us as if we are expendable."
by
Jake Johnson, staff writer
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/05/nurses-call-pelosi-enact-remote-voting-so-house-can-deliver-urgent-covid-19-relief
The largest union of registered nurses in the United States on Monday delivered a scathing rebuke to Congress and President Donald Trump for failing to protect healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic and warned that continued federal inaction could render the nation unable "to return to any degree of normalcy."
In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the leaders of National Nurses United said many "deaths would have been prevented if our government had prioritized the health and safety of healthcare workers."
"Instead," the nurses wrote, "our government has treated us as if we are expendable."
"Registered nurses and other healthcare workers are risking their lives every day to care for patients suffering from Covid-19," NNU said. "The dire conditions under which we are working are unnecessary, and our government has failed to protect us and our patients during this pandemic."NNU urged Pelosi to approve a change in House rules to allow remote voting so that the chamber can safely craft and pass legislation that addresses the desperate workplace safety and economic needs of frontline workers. Last month, as Common Dreams reported, Pelosi abruptly tabled a rule change that would have allowed proxy voting as House members remain in their home districts as a safety precaution.
"For two months we have been urgently demanding that the Trump administration and Congress step up to ensure that healthcare workers get the personal protective equipment (PPE) that they need," the nurses continued. "We've called on Congress and the administration to mandate the promulgation of an emergency temporary OSHA standard to protect frontline workers. For two months, both the Trump administration and Congress have failed to act to protect frontline healthcare workers."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, healthcare workers could account for 11% of all U.S. coronavirus cases. Officially, more than two dozen healthcare workers have died from Covid-19, but the actual death toll is believed to be far higher.
Despite the devastating impact of Covid-19 on healthcare workers and their essential role in combating the virus, the stimulus packages passed by Congress and signed into law by Trump thus far have done little to address the immediate needs of frontline employees. The president came under fire last month for authorizing military flyovers as a "tribute" to frontline workers while nurses still lack adequate masks and other safety equipment.
During a protest in front of the White House on April 21, one NNU member expressed dismay that political leaders continue to call nurses "heroes" while failing to heed their calls for basic necessities.
"I think that right now people think of us as heroes, but we're feeling like martyrs," the nurse said. "We're feeling like we're being left on the battlefield with nothing."
In addition to PPE, healthcare workers have also called on Congress to approve hazard pay for frontline employees. But the Washington Post reported last week that the proposal "has not been seriously considered during negotiations over any of the four bills approved by Congress to respond to the novel coronavirus."
In a speech on the House floor last month following the passage of an interim coronavirus stimulus bill, Pelosi assured the public that the next legislative package—which she dubbed the "Heroes Act"—will address the needs of those "on the front lines of fighting this virus."
"We owe them," Pelosi said.
But it is unclear when another stimulus package could pass given that the House remains out of session. Politico reported Monday that Pelosi told House committee chairs that she hopes to have a legislative package completed by the end of the week, but no specifics on the measure's contents have been released.
"The bill could reach the floor for a vote as soon as next week," Politico reported, "although several top Democrats are skeptical of that timeline given the scope of the legislation and uncertainty over when House members will return to Washington."
Some Democratic lawmakers have expressed frustration with the top-down legislative process as lawmakers remain away from Capitol Hill due to the coronavirus crisis, giving the House Democratic leadership near-total control over the final product with little to no input from rank-and-file members.
"They'll let us know when it's done and then tell us how to vote," one anonymous House Democrat told HuffPost.
In their letter to Pelosi on Monday, NNU wrote that "nurses across the country need legislators to immediately pass a mandate for an emergency temporary OSHA standard and increased production of PPE."
"The nation cannot afford Congress to be paralyzed by inaction," the nurses said.
Read the full letter:
Dear Madam Speaker:
Registered nurses and other health care workers are risking their lives every day to care for patients suffering from COVID-19. The dire conditions under which we are working are unnecessary, and our government has failed to protect us and our patients during this pandemic.
For two months we have been urgently demanding that the Trump Administration and Congress step up to ensure that health care workers get the personal protective equipment (PPE) that they need. We've called on Congress and the Administration to mandate the promulgation of an emergency temporary OSHA standard to protect frontline workers, and the full invocation of the Defense Production Act to urgently increase production of PPE, medical equipment, and testing supplies. For two months, both the Trump Administration and Congress have failed to act to protect frontline health care workers.
The CDC has estimated that between 10 percent and 20 percent of all COVID-19 positive patients are health care workers, and scores of these workers have died as a result. These deaths would have been prevented if our government had prioritized the health and safety of health care workers. Instead, our government has treated us as if we are expendable. If we don’t protect health care workers, the pandemic will not be controlled,and our country will not be able to return to any degree of normalcy.
We are deeply concerned that you have once again postponed reconvening the House of Representatives. To be clear, as registered nurses, we support the reported caution expressed by the Attending Physician of the United States Congress regarding gatherings of Congress, given the continued risks presented by COVID-19 in the District of Columbia and across the nation. We do not want Members of Congress or their staff members to risk their health or their lives.
At the same time, Congress must move forward with the peoples' business during these difficult days. Congress is in a classic Catch-22: You cannot reconvene the Congress as long as the pandemic poses dire risks to Members and their staffs, but the pandemic will not be contained unless Congress reconvenes and passes a CARES 2 bill that addresses the needs of the nation. As such we endorse the proposals put forward by Committee on Rules Chairman Jim McGovern to bring the House back into session temporarily to address the pandemic utilizing proxy voting and remote committee proceedings, while exploring longer term solutions in the face of these challenges.
We urge you to immediately reconvene the House using the safety precautions proposed by Chairman McGovern. Nurses across the country need legislators to immediately pass a mandate for an emergency temporary OSHA standard and increased production of PPE. The nation cannot afford Congress to be paralyzed by inaction.
Court Requests Probe Into Whether McConnell Unethically Pressured Judge to Retire to Pave Way for His Unqualified Protégé
"Justin Walker's nomination was already controversial, but this emerging investigation means an even darker cloud is hanging over his appointment. The hearing on Walker's nomination should not go forward until we know the truth."
by
Jake Johnson, staff writer
10 Comments
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/05/court-requests-probe-whether-mcconnell-unethically-pressured-judge-retire-pave-way
A federal court has requested an investigation into whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell unethically pressured a judge on the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to retire to pave the way for the Kentucky Republican's 38-year-old protégé Justin Walker, who is set for a confirmation hearing for the vacancy on Wednesday.
The New York Times reported late Monday that on May 1, Judge Sri Srinivasan—chief judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit—"asked Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. to assign another circuit to look into a complaint filed by the progressive advocacy group Demand Justice, which questioned the timing and circumstances of Judge Thomas B. Griffith's retirement announcement in early March."
The group's request came days after the Times reported that McConnell—who has made ramming through President Donald Trump's right-wing judicial picks his top priority even amid the Covid-19 pandemic—"has been personally reaching out to judges to sound them out on their plans and assure them that they would have a worthy successor if they gave up their seats soon." It is not clear whether McConnell contacted Griffith prior to the judge's retirement.On March 19 (pdf), Demand Justice called on Srinivasan to authorize a "prompt inquiry into the majority leader's potential efforts to influence Judge Griffith, perhaps through improper means... particularly because it appears that he has attempted to influence many other federal judges, as well."
In a statement Monday night, Demand Justice urged the Senate to postpone Walker's scheduled Judiciary Committee hearing in light of Srinivasan's request for an inquiry.
"Justin Walker's nomination was already controversial, but this emerging investigation means an even darker cloud is hanging over his appointment," said Brian Fallon, executive director of Demand Justice. "The hearing on Walker's nomination should not go forward until we know the truth about what ethical lines Mitch McConnell crossed to get Walker this seat."
"At the very least," said Fallon, "McConnell should come clean about whether and when he contacted Judge Thomas Griffith prior to his sudden retirement."
Walker, a member of the right-wing Federalist Society and former clerk for now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, was rated "not qualified" by the American Bar Association when Trump nominated him to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky last October. The Republican-controlled Senate disregarded the rating and confirmed Walker anyway, and now the judge is on the path to a promotion.
Lena Zwarensteyn, Fair Courts Campaign director with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said that Walker's confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky was "pure nepotism."
"Walker's inexperience and hostility toward access to healthcare and civil rights and public protections make him wholly unfit for this position," said Zwarensteyn. "But equally alarming is the unusual path that has led him to now wield a daunting amount of influence through our courts."
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