Former Monsanto VP Doesn’t Currently Work for the FDA
The Claim
The former VP of Monsanto now serves as the Deputy Commissioner of the FDA.
News posted on
Emerging story
On August 25, social media users began spreading the claim that the former VP of Monsanto now works as the Deputy Commissioner of the FDA. The posts show two side-by-side photos of the same man.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s analysis concluded that neither claim is technically true. Firstly, the man shown in the image is Michael R. Taylor, who last worked for the FDA in 1994, and had worked for Monsanto as well. A list of past and current FDA Deputy Commissioners shows that Taylor has performed the role of FDA Deputy Commissioner of Policy, but left that role in 1994. CBS reported in 2010 on the controversy surrounding Taylor’s rehiring to the FDA, particularly after he oversaw policy enactments that greatly benefitted Monsanto, whom he eventually worked for after leaving his post in the FDA. Taylor only worked for Monsanto for 16 months but also represented them in the 1980s as a lawyer for a firm the company hired. Taylor left the FDA in 2016 and now works in the private sector.
Kid Rock did not make this tweet. The Twitter account shown in the image, @KidRockOfficial is not Kid Rock’s official Twitter page and does not contain the tweet from the posts. Why Kid Rock was added in a few instances is unknown, but people are known to take celebrity opinion seriously and his name and image may have been added to further spread of the information.
