Senator Elizabeth Warren is pushing for answers from Health Secretary Robert F. Kenney Jr. regarding the federal government's response to a record-breaking Cyclospora outbreak that has sickened over 24,000 Americans.
In her letter, Warren criticises the “botched” federal response and raises concerns about possible connections between Taylor Farms, a major produce distributor linked to the outbreak, and the Trump administration. The senator cites a $1 million donation from Taylor Farms to MAGA, Inc, a backing super PAC for the Trump campaign, shortly before a key food safety rule was delayed.
Notably, Warren highlights additional donations to Trump-aligned entities from Taylor Farms, totalling millions of dollars, and points out that Trent Morse, a former White House official, now lobbies on behalf of the company. Morse reportedly facilitated a call between Taylor Farms and the White House after the FDA linked their iceberg lettuce to the outbreak.
The letter also questions why local Taco Bell restaurants in Michigan began removing iceberg lettuce from their menus well before any federal recall was announced, raising further doubts about the government's transparency during the crisis.
