Both the Flake campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) refer to this staff interview as if it had been before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which never called Dr. Beato as a witness.
If
It's Not "Under Oath," It's Not Sworn Testimony
Both the Flake campaign and NRSC refer to Dr. Beato's interview as sworn testimony. Dr. Beato says in the ad, "I have testified to this under oath to Congress." But as the transcript shows (page 4), attorney Naomi Seiler, the committee's counsel, advises Dr. Beato: "Because this is not a deposition, you will not be placed under oath, but you are required to answer questions from Congress truthfully."
But at the time of the interview, it was already four months after Dr. Carmona had made headlines by criticizing Bush administration political appointees in HHS for trying to make the agency's science fit their political agenda. Although Dr. Carmona refused to name anyone, the New York Times reported in early July 2007 that: "more than a half-dozen former top health officials said in interviews that the official most likely to have interfered was Dr. Cristina V. Beato"."
The Times also reported that former officials were saying that "Dr. Beato was widely seen within the department as trying to advance conservative agendas" and that
"Dr. Beato was more ideological and more right-wing, less objective and more political [than Dr. Carmona]."
Later in July 2007, the Washington Post reported that a different Bush political appointee had suppressed another Surgeon General's report that called on Americans to help solve global health problems. Dr. Carmona had commissioned that 65-page report and testified to a House committee that the Bush political appointee told him that the report would either become a political document, or it would not be released.
Nothing Found to Confirm Dr. Beato's Charges
Ultimately, the House Committee looking into politicization of the Surgeon General's office issued no report, nor did it reach any conclusion on Dr. Beato's allegations about Dr. Carmona. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-CA, who chaired the committee, later said the committee was aware of the allegations but could not confirm them. Dr. Beato's allegations have no known independent support.
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