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ARTICLE | Management Tracks

HHS yanks rug from under FDA, reverses chief counsel nomination

January 12, 2021 2:57 AM UTC

In the latest sign of rising tensions between FDA and HHS, the department has yanked the rug out from under FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, reversing a senior appointment after Hahn had announced it.

The drama started Monday morning when Hahn sent an email to FDA staff announcing that Stacy Cline Amin had resigned as chief counsel and that she would be replaced on an acting basis by Principal Deputy Chief Counsel Mark Raza. It is not unusual for a senior official such as Amin to resign in the last days of an administration and for that official’s deputy to step into the position on an acting basis. ...