Beware Lobbyists on Drugs

"When federal regulators started to scrutinize the safety record of dietary supplements sold by Metabolife International Inc., the company turned to the influential Washington lobbying and law shop of Patton Boggs. ... For years, Patton Boggs earned millions helping project reassurances to Congress and its customers that Metabolife products were safe." As health concerns mounted, "Patton Boggs lobbyist Lanny Davis wrote a senator whose subcommittee was investigating Metabolife that the company had received only 78 'unproven, anecdotal allegations' of strokes, heart attacks, seizures and deaths." The actual number of health complaints was in the thousands.