Weinberg Group
Encyclopedia
The Weinberg Group is a Washington, DC-based consulting
group, specializing in "international scientific and regulatory consulting" and "help[ing] companies protect their product at every stage of its life." Founded in 1983, the firm assists pharmaceutical, pesticide, and chemical companies in regulatory affairs, litigation, and media work.
said, "The tactics apparently employed by the Weinberg Group raise serious questions about whether science is for sale at these consulting groups, and the effect this faulty science might have on the public health." The House Energy and Commerce Committee, which Dingell chairs, asked the firm for records of its work on Bisphenol A
and other chemicals. Some studies indicate that Bisphenol A, which is present in a wide range of plastics, is an endocrine disruptor
and "can disrupt hormone systems in laboratory animals and possibly increase the risk of cancer or other serious illness." Canada and 10 U.S. state have moved to ban the chemical from baby bottles, and in February the U.S. National Toxicology Program
released a report concluding that "there is some concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures," and that "bisphenol A exposure in these populations based on effects in the prostate gland, mammary gland, and an earlier age for puberty in females."
Fortune Magazine writes, "The chemical industry has tried to get its message out, too. See the Web sites http://www.bisphenol-a.org/ and http://www.factsonplastic.com/ , which offer a defense of BPA. But the industry is often depicted as a "special interest group," while environmentalists and politicians are seen as serving the "public interest." It isn't that simple, of course. Controversy helps the enviros raise money, Democratic politicians love to find fault with the Bush administration. And the trial lawyers sense a big payday."
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest
the committee also "accused the firm of generating false uncertainty about scientific research that cast a negative light on their clients’ products. After showing deleted pages from the Weinberg Group's website boasting about its work for two pharmaceutical clients, the committee demanded the firm hand over documents naming the drug, the drug manufacturer and the experts used to prevent the drug’s ban. The group has also been accused of working to cast doubt on research linking a brand name hair dye to cancer and the impact of chlorofluorocarbons on the ozone layer."
The U.S. Congress investigated statements that allegedly appeared on the firm's website claiming that it successfully kept on sale, for 10 years, a drug that was eventually cancelled as harmful.
In response CEO Matthew Weinberg issued a statement saying "The analyses we conduct are rigorous and adhere to established principles of scientific integrity...We believe it is in the public interest for all scientific research to be subject to scrutiny and the views of all affected parties to be heard."
(TCE), Teflon (see below), PCB
s, Bisphenol A
, and the organochlorine insecticide endosulfan
. In 2007, The Weinberg Group was a sponsor of the International Society of
Regulatory Toxicology & Pharmacology, a group described as "an association of dominated by scientists who work for industry trade groups and consulting firms," by David Michaels. Since 2006, The Weinberg Group has been a sponsor of The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless event - Lawyer's Pitch In. The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless is described as providing legal services to people facing homelessness in DC.
, Environmental Science & Technology reported that in April 2003, the Weinberg Group proposed a strategy to DuPont
to help defuse the growing controversy over the health impacts of perfluorooctanoic acid
(PFOA), a compound used to make Teflon. Weinberg's Vice-President of Product Defense, P.Terrence Gaffney, wrote, "DuPont must shape the debate at all levels." One of his suggested strategies was to facilitate the "publication of papers and articles dispelling the alleged nexus between PFOA and teratogenicity as well as other claimed harm."
Gaffney also proposed to "develop 'blue ribbon panels' of thought leaders on issues related to PFOA" and to "coordinate the publishing of white papers on PFOA, junk science and the limits of medical monitoring." DuPont confirmed that they had hired the Weinberg Group to help with "scientific third party experts." The five-page 2003 letter also states that the Weinberg Group "has helped numerous companies manage issues allegedly related to environmental exposures. Beginning with Agent Orange
in 1983, we have successfully guided clients through myriad regulatory, litigation and public relations challenges posed by those whose agenda is to grossly over regulate, extract settlements from, or otherwise damage the chemical manufacturing industry."
, Martin McKee, a professor of public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, criticized the Weinberg Group for writing a white paper on alcohol regulation for the European alcohol industry. "Its approach is remarkably similar to the tobacco industry
reports, contending that there is insufficient evidence that alcohol causes as much harm as is alleged or that preventive measures would be effective."
. Myron Weinberg, and the company bearing his name, have been acting as tobacco industry consultants, in particular for Philip Morris. Myron Weinberg is listed in a Philip Morris
grants and projects budget as being paid $50,000 U.S.D. in 1995 alone for "Consulting Related to ETS Projects."
Philip Morris budgeted $250,000 for the Weinberg Group for Feb-Dec 1998 to organize a risk management conference and help develop and publicize a body of academic literature on risk management.
The Weinberg Group also assisted the tobacco industry's law firm, Covington & Burling
, with implementing a multinational Environmental Tobacco Smoke scientific witness program (also known as the "Whitecoat Project.") A Covington & Burling internal document dated 1988 claims the purpose of the meeting was "to discuss ETS as a public affair as well as a scientific issue -- and to begin discussion of the role that consulting scientists can play in promoting an objective understanding of the issue among members of the scientific community, government officials and members of the public."
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
group, specializing in "international scientific and regulatory consulting" and "help[ing] companies protect their product at every stage of its life." Founded in 1983, the firm assists pharmaceutical, pesticide, and chemical companies in regulatory affairs, litigation, and media work.
BPA Congressional Investigation
In February 2008, Reps. John D. Dingell (D-MI) and Bart Stupak (D-MI) announced that their ongoing investigation into Bisphenol A (BPA) had broadened to include The Weinberg Group. In March 2008, ABC News reported that the U.S. Congress was investigating the Weinberg Group. Representative John DingellJohn Dingell
John David Dingell, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1955 . He is a member of the Democratic Party...
said, "The tactics apparently employed by the Weinberg Group raise serious questions about whether science is for sale at these consulting groups, and the effect this faulty science might have on the public health." The House Energy and Commerce Committee, which Dingell chairs, asked the firm for records of its work on Bisphenol A
Bisphenol A
Bisphenol A is an organic compound with two phenol functional groups. It is used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, along with other applications....
and other chemicals. Some studies indicate that Bisphenol A, which is present in a wide range of plastics, is an endocrine disruptor
Endocrine disruptor
Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interfere with endocrine in animals, including humans. These disruptions can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders...
and "can disrupt hormone systems in laboratory animals and possibly increase the risk of cancer or other serious illness." Canada and 10 U.S. state have moved to ban the chemical from baby bottles, and in February the U.S. National Toxicology Program
National Toxicology Program
The National Toxicology Program is an inter-agency program run by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate, evaluate, and report on toxicology within public agencies....
released a report concluding that "there is some concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures," and that "bisphenol A exposure in these populations based on effects in the prostate gland, mammary gland, and an earlier age for puberty in females."
Fortune Magazine writes, "The chemical industry has tried to get its message out, too. See the Web sites http://www.bisphenol-a.org/ and http://www.factsonplastic.com/ , which offer a defense of BPA. But the industry is often depicted as a "special interest group," while environmentalists and politicians are seen as serving the "public interest." It isn't that simple, of course. Controversy helps the enviros raise money, Democratic politicians love to find fault with the Bush administration. And the trial lawyers sense a big payday."
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Center for Science in the Public Interest is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit watchdog and consumer advocacy group focusing on nutritional education and awareness.-History and funding:...
the committee also "accused the firm of generating false uncertainty about scientific research that cast a negative light on their clients’ products. After showing deleted pages from the Weinberg Group's website boasting about its work for two pharmaceutical clients, the committee demanded the firm hand over documents naming the drug, the drug manufacturer and the experts used to prevent the drug’s ban. The group has also been accused of working to cast doubt on research linking a brand name hair dye to cancer and the impact of chlorofluorocarbons on the ozone layer."
The U.S. Congress investigated statements that allegedly appeared on the firm's website claiming that it successfully kept on sale, for 10 years, a drug that was eventually cancelled as harmful.
In response CEO Matthew Weinberg issued a statement saying "The analyses we conduct are rigorous and adhere to established principles of scientific integrity...We believe it is in the public interest for all scientific research to be subject to scrutiny and the views of all affected parties to be heard."
Clients and Ties
The Weinberg Group has consulted for a number of pharmaceutical, chemical, and tobacco companies. Chemicals that the Group has worked on include trichloroethyleneTrichloroethylene
The chemical compound trichloroethylene is a chlorinated hydrocarbon commonly used as an industrial solvent. It is a clear non-flammable liquid with a sweet smell. It should not be confused with the similar 1,1,1-trichloroethane, which is commonly known as chlorothene.The IUPAC name is...
(TCE), Teflon (see below), PCB
Polychlorinated biphenyl
Polychlorinated biphenyls are a class of organic compounds with 2 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl, which is a molecule composed of two benzene rings. The chemical formula for PCBs is C12H10-xClx...
s, Bisphenol A
Bisphenol A
Bisphenol A is an organic compound with two phenol functional groups. It is used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, along with other applications....
, and the organochlorine insecticide endosulfan
Endosulfan
Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globally. Endosulfan became a highly controversial agrichemical due to its acute toxicity, potential for bioaccumulation, and role as an endocrine disruptor...
. In 2007, The Weinberg Group was a sponsor of the International Society of
Regulatory Toxicology & Pharmacology, a group described as "an association of dominated by scientists who work for industry trade groups and consulting firms," by David Michaels. Since 2006, The Weinberg Group has been a sponsor of The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless event - Lawyer's Pitch In. The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless is described as providing legal services to people facing homelessness in DC.
DuPont and Perfluorooctanoic Acid
In an article authored by Paul D. ThackerPaul D. Thacker
Paul D. Thacker, sometimes bylined as Paul Thacker, is an American journalist who specializes in science, medicine and environmental reporting. He has written for Science, Journal of the American Medical Association, Salon.com, and The New Republic, and Environmental Science & Technology...
, Environmental Science & Technology reported that in April 2003, the Weinberg Group proposed a strategy to DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
to help defuse the growing controversy over the health impacts of perfluorooctanoic acid
Perfluorooctanoic acid
Perfluorooctanoic acid , also known as C8 and perfluorooctanoate, is a synthetic, stable perfluorinated carboxylic acid and fluorosurfactant. One industrial application is as a surfactant in the emulsion polymerization of fluoropolymers. It has been used in the manufacture of such prominent...
(PFOA), a compound used to make Teflon. Weinberg's Vice-President of Product Defense, P.Terrence Gaffney, wrote, "DuPont must shape the debate at all levels." One of his suggested strategies was to facilitate the "publication of papers and articles dispelling the alleged nexus between PFOA and teratogenicity as well as other claimed harm."
Gaffney also proposed to "develop 'blue ribbon panels' of thought leaders on issues related to PFOA" and to "coordinate the publishing of white papers on PFOA, junk science and the limits of medical monitoring." DuPont confirmed that they had hired the Weinberg Group to help with "scientific third party experts." The five-page 2003 letter also states that the Weinberg Group "has helped numerous companies manage issues allegedly related to environmental exposures. Beginning with Agent Orange
Agent Orange
Agent Orange is the code name for one of the herbicides and defoliants used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. Vietnam estimates 400,000 people were killed or maimed, and 500,000 children born with birth...
in 1983, we have successfully guided clients through myriad regulatory, litigation and public relations challenges posed by those whose agenda is to grossly over regulate, extract settlements from, or otherwise damage the chemical manufacturing industry."
Alcohol industry
In an editorial that ran in the British Medical JournalBritish Medical Journal
BMJ is a partially open-access peer-reviewed medical journal. Originally called the British Medical Journal, the title was officially shortened to BMJ in 1988. The journal is published by the BMJ Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Medical Association...
, Martin McKee, a professor of public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, criticized the Weinberg Group for writing a white paper on alcohol regulation for the European alcohol industry. "Its approach is remarkably similar to the tobacco industry
Tobacco industry
The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any warm, moist environment, which means it can be farmed on all...
reports, contending that there is insufficient evidence that alcohol causes as much harm as is alleged or that preventive measures would be effective."
Tobacco industry
The Weinberg Group has also worked closely with the tobacco industryTobacco industry
The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any warm, moist environment, which means it can be farmed on all...
. Myron Weinberg, and the company bearing his name, have been acting as tobacco industry consultants, in particular for Philip Morris. Myron Weinberg is listed in a Philip Morris
Philip Morris USA
Philip Morris USA is the United States tobacco division of Altria Group, Inc. Philip Morris USA brands include Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Benson and Hedges, Merit, Parliament, Alpine, Basic, Cambridge, Bucks, Dave's, Chesterfield, Collector's Choice, Commander, English Ovals, Lark, L&M, Players and...
grants and projects budget as being paid $50,000 U.S.D. in 1995 alone for "Consulting Related to ETS Projects."
Philip Morris budgeted $250,000 for the Weinberg Group for Feb-Dec 1998 to organize a risk management conference and help develop and publicize a body of academic literature on risk management.
The Weinberg Group also assisted the tobacco industry's law firm, Covington & Burling
Covington & Burling
Covington & Burling LLP is an international law firm with offices in Beijing, Brussels, London, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, San Diego, and Washington, DC. The firm advises multinational corporations on significant transactional, litigation, regulatory, and public policy matters...
, with implementing a multinational Environmental Tobacco Smoke scientific witness program (also known as the "Whitecoat Project.") A Covington & Burling internal document dated 1988 claims the purpose of the meeting was "to discuss ETS as a public affair as well as a scientific issue -- and to begin discussion of the role that consulting scientists can play in promoting an objective understanding of the issue among members of the scientific community, government officials and members of the public."