Taylor Farms CEO pressed by lawmaker over cyclospora outbreak

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee is investigating whether Taylor Farms used its ties to the White House to influence the federal response to a nationwide cyclospora outbreak linked to the company's recalled lettuce.

Ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia of California on Monday sent a letter to Taylor Farms CEO Bruce Taylor seeking answers about the lettuce producer's role in the outbreak, which has sickened thousands of people in dozens of states.

Garcia's inquiry adds to the growing scrutiny of Taylor Farms and the federal response to the outbreak.

"Taylor Farms donated millions to President Trump, met privately with the White House the night the FDA identified their lettuce as the source of this outbreak and then reportedly tried to distance themselves from this outbreak," Garcia said in a statement to CBS News.

He added, "Thousands of Americans became sick. Trust in our public health system is on the line. The American people deserve to know Taylor Farms' full role in this outbreak, and we're demanding answers."

In 2025, Taylor Farms contributed $1 million to President Trump's super PAC, MAGA Inc., a Federal Election Commission filing shows. The company last year also contributed more than $1 million to other Republican political action committees, according to other FEC filings.

In a statement to CBS News, the White House dismissed Garcia's claims. "Any notion that the White House or Trump administration would ever compromise on the health and safety of the American people is absolutely false," spokesman Kush Desai said.

A Taylor Farms spokesperson on Monday didn't address the House Oversight Committee's letter but reiterated to CBS News that "the safety of our food is paramount" and that, according to the FDA, there haven't been any confirmed positive test results for cyclospora as of July 24.

Food safety in the U.S. is monitored by a piecemeal system of state and federal agencies. That network is responsible for detecting, investigating, and preventing outbreaks of foodborne illness.

In his letter to Taylor Farms, Garcia claimed that the cyclospora outbreak has eroded public confidence in food safety.

"Evidence points to Taylor Farms products as a source of the outbreak, but reports indicate that your company may have attempted to influence the ongoing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigation into the matter, obfuscate Taylor Farms' role in a public health crisis and mislead consumers trying to keep their families safe," Garcia wrote.

The lawmaker is demanding that Taylor Farms disclose all of its communications abou