Lawmakers Seek Probe Into FDA Email Tracking Effort

On Monday, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) asked federal health officials to launch an investigation into FDA's monitoring of personal emails sent by current and former FDA scientists and staff. In a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, Grassley asked the agency to release a copy of the memo authorizing the monitoring initiative and to identify its author. In a separate letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Van Hollen urged HHS to determine whether the program violated federal employee protections and whistleblower laws.

• "Investigation Sought of Extensive FDA Surveillance" (Lichtblau, New York Times, 7/16).
• "FDA Lawyers Authorized Spying on Agency's Employees, Senator Says" (Nakashima/Rein, "The Fed Page," Washington Post, 7/16).
• "Lawmaker Says FDA Email Spying May Be Illegal" (Yukhananov, Reuters, 7/16).