Announcing a New Searchable Database on the Revolving Door and Biotech:
http://www.edmonds-institute.org/newdoor.html
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
Contact: Beth Burrows (Edmonds Institute) 425-775-5383

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: [email protected]
website:http://www.edmonds-institute.org

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