Top U.S. Health Official Backed a Medication Policy Shift That Benefited a Company She Has Stock In
The post Top U.S. Health Official Backed a Medication Policy Shift That Benefited a Company She Has Stock In appeared first on ProPublica .
Alicia Jackson, who leads the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, spoke at a press conference announcing the removal of "black box" warnings on hormone replacement therapies. Jackson, who owns stock in a company that benefits from the policy shift, praised the decision as a victory for women and science, claiming it could add up to a decade of healthy years to the lives of women.
However, ethics experts argue this endorsement presents a conflict of interest, as federal law prohibits government employees from participating in matters that could influence their personal finances. Despite having at least $115,000 in Evernow stock and an unknown amount of stock options, Jackson did not respond to ProPublica's inquiries about her work, investments, and ethics records.
HHS has placed Jackson on administrative leave and is assessing the situation, pending an investigation by the inspector general.
Written by urgent.news from ProPublica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
