New Searchable Database on the Revolving Door and Biotech

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GMW: New Searchable Database on the Revolving Door and Biotech

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Mon, 14 Mar 2005 22:49:15 GMT

 

 

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New Searchable Database on the Revolving Door and Biotech

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

 

Contact: Beth Burrows (Edmonds Institute) 425-775-5383

 

Announcing a New Searchable Database on the Revolving Door and Biotech:

http://www.edmonds-institute.org/newdoor.html

 

March 14, Edmonds, Washington. The Edmonds Institute today announced

its " New Revolving Door " , a searchable database about people who have

worked in/for both government and industry, with emphasis on those

connected to the biotechnology industry.

 

The Institute, a small public interest group focused on environment and

technology, has been collecting " revolving door " data since the late

1990s when, according to Institute director, Beth Burrows, " We began to

wonder who exactly was negotiating for the U.S. and what were their

goals. "

 

The Institute's first " revolving door " publication - a piece of paper

distributed to those negotiating an international biosafety protocol -

announced the " change of employment " of L. Val Giddings. " One week he

was on the USDA-APHIS team and the next he was with the Biotechnology

Industry Organization, " said Burrows, adding, " Technically, such

changes of employment are not illegal. Few if any people in this database

are breaking any law. But sometimes, their rapid movement from the

public to the private sector or vice versa raises the specters of

impropriety and conflict of interest. People question exactly when

the interests of their public servants stopped being the public

interest. "

 

The website at

http://www.edmonds-institute.org/newdoor.html

explains: " Confidence in government and particularly in government

regulation is compromised whenever the independence of those making

decisions, including those empowered to regulate, is called into

question.

Despite the existence of ethics laws, codes and regulations,

movements of personnel between the 'private sector' (industry) and

'government' raise concern in some quarters about potential conflicts of

interest. "

 

This database includes information about people in several countries

who have worked in both the public and the private sector. The

information, accumulated over a period of years, was recently greatly

augmented

by researchers at the Public Information Network. The online database

was designed by Hoffman Graphics of Seattle.

 

" It's a work-in-progress, " Burrows admits. " It is neither comprehensive

nor complete. We only have about 125 names. We continue to do

research. And it takes us some time to verify all the tips we get. " She

cautions, " We're just trying to point out the connections. It's up to

others

to decide for themselves the meaning of those connections. "

 

Citations for the information in the database are provided on site.

" Much of the data comes from websites, and thus citations may become

outdated, Burrows says. " We welcome corrections and suggestions for

improvement. "

 

The Institute intends to update and expand the database over time to

enable researchers to access information about those in government or

those advising government in any part of the world. On the eve of an

agreement with a European NGO (non-governmental organization) to make

this an international database, the Edmonds Institute decided to release

the material accumulated to date.

 

For more information about the Institute, contact:

The Edmonds Institute

20319-92nd Avenue West

Edmonds, Washington 98020

USA

phone:(001) 425-775-5383

email: beb

website:<http://www.edmonds-institute.org>

 

 

 

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