Crawford cleared of allegations

The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) cleared acting FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford of allegations of personal misconduct, clearing the way for a vote in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Crawford's confirmation as permanent commissioner. HELP Committee Chair Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.) said he plans to schedule a vote as soon as possible.

The OIG investigated allegations concerning Crawford's relationship with a senior FDA official that were made in an anonymous message that was faxed to Enzi's office in April. The OIG said it found no evidence to support allegations that Crawford had an affair with the employee or that he failed to handle alleged travel card misuse appropriately. The OIG said its investigation "did reveal inconsistencies concerning the manner by which [the employee] was promoted" to the senior executive service level, as well as the extent and nature of Crawford's assistance with regard to her application. ...