Request for Investigation of Conflicts of Interest at the FDA RE Dr. Jeffrey Shuren on Cell Phone Radiation

“In February 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under the signature of Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, released to the public a report entitled, “Review of Published Literature between 2008 and 2018 of Relevance to Radiofrequency Radiation and Cancer”. This report was subsequently cited by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as their exclusive scientific rationale to forego updating 25 years old safety standards for wireless devices and infrastructure that were based on technologies that no longer exist.”

“For example, on November 1, 2018, Dr. Shuren released a confusing public statement disagreeing with the findings of a multi-million-dollar National Toxicology Program study, commissioned by Dr. Shuren’s own FDA, which concluded “clear evidence of carcinogenicity” from cell phone exposure. The statement by Dr. Shuren carried the wireless industry position that, despite the study results, cell phones were safe. Several months later, on April 24, 2019, in a communication with the FCC, Dr. Shuren advised unequivocally that cell phones have the ‘all clear’ as far as safety, even though the review cited above that was commissioned within his FDA as the basis for decisions on the cancer-causing potential of cell phones, was not completed until 9 months later, in February 2020. Our investigative findings, highlights of which are appended hereto, compelled us to reach out to you, the Inspector General, as it has revealed that the documents herein, and other prior communications and public releases, exhibit a pattern of apparent collusion and possible conspiracy among the FCC, the FDA and the many trade association and corporate appendages of the wireless industry.”

“It further shows that this behavior has been spearheaded by Dr. Shuren, who we learned is replete with both personal and professional conflicts of interest. For example, Dr. Shuren’s family benefits from a billion-dollar telecom practice in the Arnold & Porter law firm where his wife is a partner. Most alarming was this quote from the law firm’s website: “We played a lead role in every transaction undertaken by AT&T (formerly SBC) since the passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act…” Further, decisions by Dr. Shuren’s department with regard to diagnostic imaging can be construed to limit his ability to consider the dangers of wireless technology independently, as recognition of cell phone dangers that would compel alterations to prior FDA positions would also be disruptive to health care delivery. The sum total is that these apparent collusive and possibly conspiratorial actions serve to mislead the American public about the safety of a technology which now reaches virtually every man, woman and child in the country.”