Dr. Scott Gottlieb — commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, and a strong critic of e-cigarettes and vaping — has resigned. A Westport resident with a background as a health policy analyst, he was appointed to the post 2 years ago by President Trump.
According to the New York Times, his wife and 3 children still live here. The paper said he was “weary of the commute and missed his family.”
However, the paper added, “he has also been subject to increasing pressure from Republicans in Congress and his former associates in the conservative movement for his tough stance against youth vaping and traditional cigarettes.”
The Washington Post noted, “While Gottlieb had some policy disagreements with the White House, he is well respected, and could be invited back to another post, two officials said….
“The move came as a surprise to some FDA officials because he has recently hired senior staff and was aggressively pushing a host of new initiatives.”
Gottlieb was the highest-ranking Westporter in Washington, following the resignation and subsequent move of FBI director James Comey.
When he was nominated to head the FDA, Dr. Scott Gottlieb’s profile page proudly displayed a photo of Westport.
Interesting that republicans would pressure him about his stance against smoking “delivery systems.” Gee I wonder why???