The head of the Food and Drug
Administration, Marty Makary, “resigned” in May, 2026 even though the decision had
been made by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy “and then
the White House signed off on it.”[1]
Although Makary had been annoyance to drug-company executives, and to that
extent his removal was due to pressure on President Trump by the CEOs, his “resignation”
supports the theory of regulatory capture, wherein the regulated companies
control the very regulatory agencies (and regulators therein) that regulate
those companies, this case shows that it is possible for an industry’s
interests to be aligned with the public (health) interest. Does the alignment
regarding getting rid of a particular regulator lessen the unethical quality of
the broader conflict of interest between business and government?
The full essay is at "Regulatory Capture and the Public Interest."
1. Matthew Perrone and Seung Min Kim, “Trump FDA Chief Is Leaving After Angering Pharma CEOs, Vaping Lobbyists and Anti-Abortion Groups,” APnews.com, May 12, 2026.
