According to an internal email obtained by The BMJ, the FDA told a departing staffer who had reviewed COVID-19 vaccines while working at the FDA and who later accepted a job at Moderna that he could still work “behind the scenes” to influence agency decision-making.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) informs departing workers that they can still influence the agency’s decision-making after leaving their position to work for the pharmaceutical industry, a new investigation by The BMJ revealed.