Bright shines harsh light on America’s COVID-19 preparedness, FDA’s independence

Cronyism has crippled America’s pandemic response, enriching undeserving entrepreneurs and politically potent consultants who siphoned funds that could and should have been used to mount a defense against COVID-19, according to a whistleblower complaint filed by Rick Bright, the former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and HHS deputy assistant secretary for preparedness and response.

While Bright’s allegations of cronyism are attracting a great deal of attention, in the long run the light he has shed on FDA’s decision-making during this era may be more important. ...