Whistleblower complaint from doctor formerly leading U.S. coronavirus vaccine effort alleges HHS operated on 'cronyism'

Dr. Robert Kadlec. — (Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Dr Rick Bright, who was formerly leading the federal government's coronavirus vaccine development, officially filed his whistleblower complaint on Tuesday. Bright reiterated that he believes he was removed from his post as the director of the Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (and transferred to a "less impactful" position) because he refused to back President Trump's preferred, but unproven coronavirus treatment, hydroxychloroquine.

Additionally, Bright's complaint echoes other reports that members of the Trump administration received early warnings about the possibility that China's coronavirus outbreak could result in a pandemic. He singled out HHS Secretary Alex Azar as someone who resisted Bright's quest for resources to combat the virus' spread. But his allegations don't just revolve around COVID-19.

The complaint also describes a culture of "cronyism" within the HHS since the nascent days of the Trump administration in 2017. While Bright was running BARDA, the complaint said, he was determined to award contracts to companies looking to develop essential drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics based solely on scientific merit. But he allegedly clashed with top HHS officials, including HHS Assistant Secretary Dr. Robert Kadlec, who "pressured" Bright to "ignore expert recommendations" and "award lucrative contracts based on political connections." A lot of the tension reportedly stemmed from what Bright described as the "outsized" influence of John Clerici, a pharmaceutical industry consultant with longstanding ties to Kadlec.

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Eventually, the complaint alleges, that led to "some discord" between Bright and HHS leadership that lasted until his recent removal. Read the full complaint here.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.