Dave Weldon, a former member of Congress and physician whose nomination to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was pulled just hours before a related Senate committee appearance, said "Pharma" and two Republican senators are responsible.
In a letter Weldon wrote that was obtained by Newsmax, he blames Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Susan Collins of Maine, saying they were instrumental in the surprise pulling of his nomination by the White House.
Regarding Collins, Weldon wrote, "I had a very pleasant meeting with her 2 weeks prior where she expressed no reservation, but at my meeting with her staff on March 11 they were suddenly very hostile-a bad sign." Weldon said he was accused by the staff of being "anti-vax." Weldon said it became clear Collins would not vote for his confirmation.
Cassidy, Weldon wrote, was also an apparent no-vote. "I can assume that the White House staff had my nomination withdrawn also because the Republican Chairman Dr. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana was also voting no."
Cassidy commented on the Weldon nomination being pulled in a statement issued through staff to Newsmax, "I was looking forward to the hearing. I was surprised when Dr. Weldon's nomination was withdrawn. His poor response to this situation shows that the pressures of being CDC director would have been too much."
Behind it all claimed Weldon, was the pharmaceutical industry.
"I have been told that Big Pharma had desperately tried to get rid of [Health and Human Services Secretary] Bobby Kennedy but were unable due to the strong support of President [Donald] Trump. Many people feel big Pharma actually feared me more than they feared Bobby because of my credibility and my knowledge of science and medicine."
Weldon wrote the senators buckled to industry pressure. "So, if they had to live with Bobby for 4 years they were definitely not going to have both him and me and put serious pressure on Collins and Cassidy."
Staff for Collins and Cassidy have denied Weldon's claim.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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