CDC Investigates Itself on #CDCwhistleblower Fraud Charges and Then Declines to Share Results with Congress
by Ginger Taylor
After the blockbuster revelations that Dr. William Thompson had come forward and admitted that CDC was withholding information that they found linking vaccines to autism, Congressman Bill Posey took the lead in investigating the matter. After many months of sorting through documents given to him by Thompson, Posey took to the floor of the House of Representatives last summer to confirm that there was ample evidence that fraud was taking place and called for formal Congressional hearings.
Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz, the new head of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, had reportedly committed to Rep. Posey that he would hold hearings, however those reports were followed by others suggesting that key members of Congress were coming intense under pressure from vaccine interests not to hold hearings, and instead to allow CDC to investigate themselves.
Indeed, CDC spokesperson Tom Skinner released the following statement to Forbes Magazine, announcing that the agency will investigate themselves for the fraud charges that have been levied against them:
"CDC is aware that employee Dr. William Thompson has raised concerns regarding an article he co-authored that was published in 2004 in Pediatrics. Consistent with CDC’s existing policies and procedures, the agency, through its Office of the Associate Director for Science (ADS), and in coordination with the HHS Office of Research Integrity, is reviewing these concerns. The agency will provide further information once the review is completed."
Months after Rep. Chaffetz had reportedly committed to hold hearings, no hearings have been publicly discussed. Further, activists in the black community report that the ORG's ranking member, Rep. Elijah Cummings, initially committed to them that he would look into the Thompson disclosure, but recanted his commitment to them within days of making it.
On Monday, Rep. Posey took to his facebook page to share that he had learned that CDC had completed their investigation of their potential fraud, and had prepared a video response. He contacted them to request a copy, but CDC has declined to produce it for the Congressman.
Congressman Bill Posey's post to facebook:
"ARROGANT, PETULANT & DEFIANT - I was informed by an insider they did an investigation, prepared a response and produced a video as a result of the July 29th video I posted below. I simply asked to see..."
I had not realized that responses like these were possible to government agencies with oversight and investigative powers, and after reading the Dena Morris response, I have been inspired to use her letter as a template in to address a matter in my own life:
November 4th, 2015
Ginger Taylor
123 The Way Life Should Be Way
Rocky Coast Of, Maine
IRS
12th Street, and Pennsylvania Avenue
Northwest, Washington, D.C.
Dear Internal Revenue Service,
Thank you for your letter regarding your 2014 statement and your request for certain documents and materials. The Taylor Family (Team Taylor) was aware that certain concerns had been raised regarding a 2014 paperwork filing authored by Team Taylor members. Team Taylor takes any concerns about the integrity of our paperwork filings very seriously and is committed to reviewing such concerns consistent with applicable federal regulations and our team's existing policies and procedures. However, Team Taylor is not in a position at this time to comment on any ongoing review.
We value your commitment to public funding, and appreciate your support for providing the public with revenue. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Chander Taylor our son injured by your sister agency's policies and disclosures, after he gets home from school.
Sincerely,
Ginger Taylor
Executive Director, Team Taylor, Maine Office
I will let you know if it pays off.
Ginger,
"I had not realized that responses like these were possible to government agencies with oversight and investigative powers"
In practice, they are rare. The following document discusses subpoena and contempt power of Congress (http://www.talkleft.com/story/2007/7/8/1731/15806/lawrelated/The-Congressional-Subpoena-Power-How-It-Is-Enforced). If Congress wants to, they have the power. In the CDC case regarding the Thompson investigation, it is crystal-clear that, except for Posey, no one else is interested in getting this Report. My guess (and one of the resident lawyers here can correct me if I'm wrong) is that at least a Committee Chairman would be required to invoke these more draconian measures, and perhaps a vote of the full Committee would be required. But, it's all a game. Rules and laws are only as good as the desire to enforce them. No one in Congress wants to move the ball downfield.
Look, the top eight causes of premature death in 2013 (which did not include injuries or suicide) resulted in ~1.75 million deaths. That's an average of about 4800 per day. I believe a substantial number of those illnesses are preventable and/or reversible, if and when their contributing factors are removed. Two major reasons for their continuing prevalence are extremely lax regulation of the potential causes of these diseases, and continuing addiction to these contributing factors. If we assume that this number could be reduced by half through better regulations and addiction-ending efforts (smoking was reduced by about half as a result of anti-addiction efforts), then we are left with about 2500 premature deaths per day, for the USA.
According to TACA (http://www.tacanow.org/family-resources/latest-autism-statistics-2/), about 100 individuals per day are being diagnosed with autism. Thus, if Congress is doing essentially nothing about removing the contributing factors responsible for ~2500 potentially preventable premature deaths per day, why do you think they would care about the 4% of that number who are newly diagnosed with autism?
Posted by: Ronald Kostoff | March 23, 2016 at 07:03 AM
I'm sure they are on the up and up, Not. This info has been around for a long time, it's just the scare tactics pharmecutical cos use and the majority of lazy people to not do their own research. Wake
Up America and start making noise
Posted by: Tammy | March 22, 2016 at 11:14 AM
Now that Paul Ryan is Speaker we need to focus our efforts and attention on him. He has little children and might be very interested to learn how corrupt the CDC is. And how very little the CDC cares about our vaccine injured kids. #CDCwhistleblower
Posted by: MelissaD | November 15, 2015 at 09:32 PM
Perhaps they could include in the "I am not a crook" video, a CDC version of the Richard Nixon clause invoked in the interview with David Frost.
Richard Nixon: Well, when the president does it, that means it is not illegal.
Posted by: Greyone | November 06, 2015 at 03:55 PM
Ginger I feel sure that you will prevail in the IRS matter, as the CDC has shown that self-investigation is now a "thing". Shoplifters everywhere are finding themselves innocent, after thorough self-investigation. Murderers, embezzlers, and identity thieves too. It is the dawning of an era.
Posted by: Twyla | November 06, 2015 at 12:31 PM
After that CDC cover-up blather Rep. Posey should make a formal request to the Inspector General for an investigation.
Here is a link for reporting CDC fraud to the Inspector General:
https://www.ignet.gov/content/department-health-and-human-services .
Posted by: Jim Thompson | November 06, 2015 at 05:57 AM
John
"they didn't need to investigate themselves because they already knew what happened."
Amen!
Posted by: Danchi | November 05, 2015 at 10:13 PM
Actually, I find this a little confusing. An insider told Posey the investigation is completed, yet the CDC is saying it's ongoing and they won't comment? Was the insider wrong, or the CDC playing games?
Posted by: Greg | November 05, 2015 at 10:12 PM
Thanks Ginger,
I always enjoy everything you write
Posted by: Rebecca Lee | November 05, 2015 at 07:10 PM
Well, the unbelievable nerve of those public servants! Folks, this is getting bad. Perhaps we should all call that number -- a lot. Emails, too, but I doubt they have a real person who answers them.
Posted by: Denise Anderstrom Douglass | November 05, 2015 at 06:22 PM
You have to be kidding me. So this sick, twisted, conflict of interest ridden agency can: make vaccine recommendations, analyze their safety AND conducts reviews even when challenged by Congress. No wonder the people are sick of it and enraged. Love your letter, it's hilarious.
Posted by: Reader | November 05, 2015 at 06:10 PM
Danchi
It is a very good point. Not only did they not need to investigate themselves because they already knew how corrupt they were, they didn't need to investigate themselves because they already knew what happened.
Posted by: John Stone | November 05, 2015 at 03:59 PM
The CDC didn't need to investigate itself. They are fully aware how corrupt they are. Here is a paragraph from an article on GreenMed:
Regarding corruption surrounding the recommendation of influenza vaccines; there are no restrictions with regard to conflicts of interest for the employees of the CDC or for those of the FDA (Kuehn, 2010). Each employee of either agency is allowed to own stock in drug companies. There is of course the revolving door. The most blatant example of revolving door corruption may be the action of the former director of the CDC, Julie Gerberding. Gererding blocked the CDC's planned retraction of their recommendation for HPV vaccine after significant numbers of girls had died or been rendered paralyzed by the HPV vaccine. Soon after blocking the retraction, Gerberding was offered and took a position at Merck, the manufacturer of Gardasil, the world's best selling HPV vaccine, as head of Merck Vaccines Department (Reuters, 2009). It is a level of corruption that we would expect to see in only third world countries. (Kuehn, B. (Feb 3, 2010). Office of Inspector General: CDC Lax in Policing Advisors' Conflicts of Interest. The Journal of the American Medical Association303. 5 412)
How the Government’s Vaccine Policy is Infected by Corruption
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/how-government%E2%80.
%99s-vaccine-policy-infected-corruption-1
Conflicts of Interest in Vaccine Policy Making Majority Staff Report Committee on Government Reform U.S. House of Representatives June 15, 2000
http://www.whale.to/v/staff.html
Congress doesn't have the back of the American people on any issue. They are corporate America wh--or--es. Pure and simple.
Posted by: Danchi | November 05, 2015 at 03:51 PM
After the CDC's representatives' repeated professed inability to answer questions that oh so obviously were going to be asked, from one Congressional hearing to another, over two decades, I'm surprised anyone expected any genuine response to Representative Posey's inquiries.
We're in a medicopolitical tyranny, and it'll take much more than mere inquiry to put an end to it.
Posted by: Shawn Siegel | November 05, 2015 at 03:26 PM
"House Democrats seeking answers from pharmaceutical companies accused of jacking up prices on vital medications have run into a stone wall in the form of Republican Oversight Committee chair Jason Chaffetz, who counts the drug industry as one of his biggest backers....
Chaffetz has received substantial support from the drug industry over the years. Pharmaceutical companies were the top contributor to his campaign in the 2014 election cycle, and No. 2 so far this cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Overall, pharmaceutical interests have donated over $198,000 to Chaffetz during his career, more than any other industry."
https://theintercept.com/2015/11/05/chaffetz-uses-house-chairmanship-to-shield-his-big-pharma-backers/
Posted by: Carol | November 05, 2015 at 01:59 PM
There are certainly all kinds of opinions around about how long it takes to investigate. That has nothing to do with the attitude that is being displayed by the CDC. An agency that claims to want to control disease, if it is sincere, does not need much time when it comes to getting data on infectious diseases or other ailments. They are on it in no time.
And they would be on it in no time if they truly wanted to find out something. It's a sad state of affairs when agencies like the CDC hide behind "Ongoing Review" that God knows how long only to be forgotten in the end.
How long would it take a pharmaceutical company to influence someone?
Posted by: Birgit Calhoun | November 05, 2015 at 01:14 PM
What are they smoking at CDC? It's like they live in a foggy bubble and have no idea the whole world is watching them. It's gonna burst.
Posted by: aspiesmom | November 05, 2015 at 12:04 PM
I'm sure they want to release their "response" under perfectly timed, if not perfectly crafted circumstances.
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | November 05, 2015 at 11:12 AM
I love Dodgeball, and Pepper is one of my favorite characters! Thanks for the morning laugh.
Posted by: Betty Bona | November 05, 2015 at 10:32 AM
Ohhh, thanks for the laugh this morning.
Posted by: Michelle B | November 05, 2015 at 09:09 AM
Hi Rachel
They are just wasting everyone's time as usual - and you are. How long would it really take to consult with the authors, Gerberding etc. It isn't anything like as complicated as WMD. Nor is it very clear what possible excuse they could have anyway. Expect slippery language.
Posted by: For Rachel | November 05, 2015 at 07:33 AM
Alternatively, Posey's "insider" was wrong, and the review isn't complete. The letter says "ongoing review" - why is it not possible that this is the case? Three months to begin, carry out, complete and report on an investigation of this magnitude doesn't seem very long to me.
Posted by: Rachel | November 05, 2015 at 07:20 AM
"I am not a crook," that kind of video response?
Posted by: Carol | November 05, 2015 at 06:16 AM