Bright Shines Spotlight on Trump’s Corrupt Coronavirus Response
Trump Has Prioritized Corporate Profits, Recklessly Promoted Unproven Drugs, Disregarded Expert Recommendations
Dr. Rick Bright, the recently fired director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), has exposed shocking negligence and corruption regarding the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, including failing to heed urgent warnings early in the pandemic, the awarding of lucrative contracts to Trump allies and reckless disregard of scientific facts.
Bright is scheduled to testify Thursday before the U.S. House Energy & Commerce subcommittee on Health regarding his termination, which the U.S. Office of Special Counsel found was likely in response to his push for an aggressive, scientifically vetted coronavirus response.
In a new fact sheet, Public Citizen lays out how Bright exposed Trump administration negligence and corruption, including:
- Ignoring requests by career officials to prepare for COVID-19;
- Recklessly promoting unproven drugs with known side effects; and
- Pressuring BARDA to ignore expert recommendations and award contracts to politically connected corporations.
Public Citizen is calling for Robert Kadlec, the assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to step down for his negligence when preparing for the pandemic in the face of dire warnings and cronyism, and for the department to disclose the terms of all contracts issued under Kadlec.
Read the fact sheet here.