The lindane file
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Late yesterday afternoon, I posted a few pieces of opposition research on Bruce Rauner. The Rauner campaign sent over a memo last night about one of those stories, regarding a formerly GTCR-owned firm which marketed an anti-lice shampoo containing the pesticide lindane. You can read that Rauner campaign memo defending lindane by clicking here.
Lindane is powerful stuff. The EPA has banned its use as a pesticide. You can’t put it on your horse, but the FDA allows it to be used on your kid. It’s a second-line defense, meaning it’s only supposed to be used if traditional treatments fail. But it’s so toxic that it’s not supposed to be re-applied.
* Anyway, late last night, the lindane story finally popped loose in the Sun-Times…
Dr. Jonathan Fliegel thought he was well within his rights when he joined other members of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Michigan chapter at their state capitol a few years ago to urge lawmakers to impose restrictions on the use of a chemical called lindane.
He never imagined his activism as a citizen and physician in Michigan would result in getting sued in a federal case in Chicago.
The plaintiff in the 2006 civil lawsuit against Fliegel was an Illinois company called Morton Grove Pharmaceuticals Inc. It alleged that Fliegel, another pediatrician and environmentalists in that state had “negatively impacted” its business when they made statements about lindane.
The reason the case should interest you now is that Morton Grove Pharmaceuticals was owned at that time by the Chicago private-equity firm GTCR. And, as all but the most casual observers of Illinois politics know well by now, the “R” in GTCR stands for the firm’s founder and then-chairman Bruce Rauner, the Republican nominee for governor of Illinois in next month’s election.
Go read the whole thing.
I’ve been hearing rumors about this story for months.
* From the oppo file…
Morton Grove hired lobbyists to defeat lindane ban efforts in four states, including Illinois. In the spring and summer of 2005, MGP hired two lobbying firms – Winston & Strawn and Nicolay & Dart – to defeat a bill to ban the toxic lice shampoo, lindane. The lindane ban had sailed through the Illinois House with near unanimous support, but then MGP hired the high powered lobbyists and was able to kill the ban in the Senate.
The bill never made it out of committee in the Senate. Rauner’s firm sold the company in 2007 after profits dropped.
I’m told there’s more on this story, so perhaps you should stay tuned.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:40 am:
More on this story?
Rauner, Inc. fought efforts to prevent kids from being poisoned wasn’t enough?
We perhaps have photos of Bruce Rauner rubbing toxic ooze on children’s heads?
Can we get a comment from Diana Rauner on this one?
The only thing that would up this story is if Slip-n-Sue had filed the SLAPP suit herself.
- Chilaborguy - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:43 am:
There is a great deal more to this story. Frankly, there are parts of this story that are so bad that it is very nearly unbelievable. Sadly, it is all too true.
I am heartened that many commenters feel that Freedom PAC and it’s labor allies have done such extensive and relevant Oppo research. It should be noted that a great deal of this research was completed by and paid for by SEIU prior to the Freedom PAC’s Formation. In actuality the individual that did the vast majority of the work is Dr. Don Weiner, a longtime union political operative. I believe a lot of people have had a hand in furthering the in depth work of Mr. Weiner but he certainly creating the roadmap for all of us to follow. I say all this because Mr. Weiner has done this kind of high quality work for nearly 40 years now and has received very little fanfare. I want to make sure that operatives out there understand the unprecedented scope of this research project and the tremendous contribution staffers like Don Weiner make to these campaigns all the time. Hats off to you Brother.
- VM - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:43 am:
I love how the response refers to “Barack Obama’s FDA” when citing a source dated March 2009.
In fairness, the second source was dated 2012. But it still says something that they associated a March 2009 decision to Barack Obama. Anyone who has any knowledge of the FDA knows that it takes years, not weeks, to get a statement from them.
- MrJM - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:44 am:
“‘Bruce wasn’t on the board so he had nothing do with the lawsuit,’ Schrimpf said in a statement.”
LEADERSHIP!!1!
– MrJM
- Anon - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:46 am:
The real louse in this story is Bruce Rauner. He’ll get his Lindane application on November 4th
- a drop in - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:48 am:
“MGP hired the high powered lobbyists and was able to kill the ban in the Senate.”
Not a Rauner supporter at all but sounds like the blame can be shared with Dems in Senate.
- Wordslinger - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:49 am:
This “Early and Often” section is strange. — neither fish nor fowl.
Subject matter aside, this is an opinion column by a working reporter. And it has specific corporate sponsorship.
What’s wrong with writing a straight story?
On another matter, could we expect Ed Janotta to keep his job as Rauner’’s hatchet man if he’s elected?
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:50 am:
==It’s a second-line defense, meaning it’s only supposed to be used if traditional treatments fail. But it’s so toxic that it’s not supposed to be re-applied.==
These facts are conveniently not snipped in the Rauner memo even though they are some of the first lines to appear if you click through their FDA links.
- walker - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:52 am:
Any problems? Just throw more money at it!
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:53 am:
Um, okay, I read the Rauner response.
Their defense basically boils down to this: “Trust Barack Obama and the FDA.”
Now, despite all of the Ebola hype, I do trust Obama on health issues.
But trust the FDA?
No way.
The FDA is notorious for siding with pharma, who is their primary funder now when it comes to drug testing.
In Illinois, the FDA dragged their feet on banning ephedra for years, despite countless reports of harm that included deaths.
Things got so bad that Dick Durbin actually went to Barack Obama and Sara Feigenholtz and asked them to push for a ban in Illinois, which they did.
Other states followed suit, and eventually the FDA admitted to the science and banned ephedra.
I guess we’re lucky that Rauner wasn’t in the business of selling speed to teenagers.
Or is that next?
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/illinois-to-ban-ephedra-products/
“Last fall, 16-year old Sean Riggins bought an ephedra supplement called “yellow jackets” at a gas station. He was hoping the pills would give him an athletic edge. Instead, experts say, they gave him a heart attack.
CBS News Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports his death was a wake-up call in his home state of Illinois, which this week will become the first state to ban the sale of ephedra products.
Other states are considering their own bans, after ephedra supplements were linked to thousands of heart attacks, strokes and other adverse reactions, and more than a hundred deaths.
Ephedra’s already faced bans in college and pro sports and the U.S. military. Top medical groups are pushing for a national ban.
That’s left many asking why the FDA — which is supposed to regulate food and drugs — seems conspicuously absent.”
Trust the FDA? Nope.
- Concerned - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:54 am:
Standard operating procedure for Rauner’s firm. Attack and bully anyone standing between them and more profits, even if those profits come at the expense of children, the elderly, the most vulnerable members of our society.
How dare they sue someone exercising First Amendment rights to petition the government, and here a Dr. campaigning for health protections for children.
Have they no shame?
- Del Clinkton - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:55 am:
Please explain how this is an opinion column written by a reporter?
- Chilaborguy - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 10:57 am:
I believe our own government lists Lindane as a neurotoxin. It is only in production in the third world, although technically India is probably considered second world now. Either way is sold and marketed in India solely as a pesticide. Newspaper accounts from India indicate Lindane is a very common means to commit suicide in rural areas. you really can’t make this stuff up. Stay classy, Bruce.
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:00 am:
When Soccerkid had intractable lice, I called the pediatrician in tears begging for Lindane. He refused, on the grounds that it would pose a terrible health risk. (Instead, we slathered her hair with petroleum jelly. It made her hair look like a slab of wood for a few days, but it worked…)
- Wordslinger - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:04 am:
Del, read the last two graphs. Personal opinion, not straight reporting.
- truthteller - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:04 am:
Rauner’s lobbyists stopped the bill in the Senate- I thought he was an outsider. If he gets elected , it will be business as usual with the emphasis on business.
- Wordslinger - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:07 am:
Rokyo had a column in which he claimed that when he had lice, his father shaved a bald patch on the back of his head and then smacked the critters as they crawled across it.
- SAP - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:08 am:
When Montgomery Burns was running for Mayor of Springfield, Bart Simpson caught Blinky the 3-eyed fish in the lagoon by the Springfield nuclear power plant. When he came over to dinner at the Simpson household while he was on the hustings, Marge Simpson served Blinky as the main course. Burns tried to eat the fish, but gagged and his campaign began a swift death spiral. If I were on the Pat Quinn campaign, I’d challenge Bruce Rauner to demonstrate how safe lidane is by applying it to his own scalp.
- Nonplussed - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:08 am:
Soccermom: what year did ur Dr. refuse to prescribe?
The reason Rauner sold the company at a loss is that although the FDA refuses to ban its use in shampoo, in 2009 the American Academy of Pediatrics stopped recommending it even for 2nd line treatments.
California banned its use in Pharma products in 2002, although mainly because of concerns that the products would end up in groundwater.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:10 am:
Hmmm, IDOT improperly classified political positions, but Bruce poisoned children and abused the elderly.
Yeah, I’ll put my money on PQ.
- Langhorne - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:11 am:
this is the hands on boss who picks and grooms superstars, like jannotta. whichever came first, lindane or the florida nursing homes, jannotta should notta been given another job. shows that his performance was just fine in the eyes of the baron.
- Come on man! - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:12 am:
Where is the “Rauner poisons children ad”?
- Nicholas - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:15 am:
Now I have hope. My idea for Ebola-nut Crunch Cereal would be a gold mine if it weren’t for the Un-American anti-profit do-gooder “lawmakers” in Springfield. I cannot wait until Rauner shakes them up so we can continue to profit by poisoning children in Illinois!
- Mighty M. Mouse - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:19 am:
===Have they no shame?===
None.
- Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:22 am:
Yeah! Shake up Springfield! And shake well before using!
//www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drugs.com%2Fpro%2Flindane-shampoo.html&h=0&w=0&tbnid=oyrboKCP51o-XM&zoom=1&tbnh=173&tbnw=292&docid=GxvM4HcPHvi_DM&tbm=isch&ei=m9lHVP7POcmcygSlooHACg&ved=0CAcQsCUoAQ
- Del Clinkton - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:25 am:
@word:
I read that and it didnt jump out at me either way. Thank you for the clarification!
- Wumpus - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:32 am:
Bruce Rauner TOUGH ON LICE…including those at IDOT.
- Bill White - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:34 am:
In 2004 a Mayo Clinic abstract included this:
== Resistance has decreased the efficacy of lindane, a prescription pediculicide that has been used for decades. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration recently warned of potentially serious adverse effects associated with lindane and recommended strict controls for its use. ==
http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025
-6196(11)62289-1/abstract
= = =
Not only is lindane poisonous, it has already become less effective as of 2004, due to the emergence of lindane resistant lice.
= = =
Translated into snark:
Lindane might kill your kid and it doesn’t even work.
- Keyser Soze - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:38 am:
Lindane, like many other halogenated organic compounds banned in the 1970’s, i.e., DDT,PCB’s, Chlordane (think termites), was outlawed less for its general toxicity than it was for its longevity. The halogenated compounds of that era do not readily decay and some are bioaccumulative. Homes built before 1980 are likely to still have residual chlordane in soil along foundations. They are also unlikely to have termites. As some comments suggest, these compounds are two-edged swords.
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:56 am:
My doctor was refusing to prescribe Lindane in 1997. God bless him.
- A guy... - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:13 pm:
This story was out there months ago from the same trusted scribe breaking it yesterday. He couldn’t sell it back then, and he’s selling it at deeply discounted value now. Dealing with Ibendahl means you’ve really entered the sty. Most of you wouldn’t touch him with your worst enemy’s 10 foot pole. He’s all yours.
- How Ironic - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:19 pm:
If there was just some way to use it to euthanize puppies, GTCRauner and Bill Brady could team up!
- circularfiringsquad - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:22 pm:
The best of this is last week the high rollers at the Sun Times said Mitt was an “involved investor” but a drug company he was AWOL according to Mr. Shrimp. Hmmmm
Involved or AWOL Pick em
- MrJM - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:35 pm:
“Dealing with Ibendahl means you’ve really entered the sty. Most of you wouldn’t touch him with your worst enemy’s 10 foot pole.”
Now that your ad hominem attack is out of the way, any interest in dealing with the substance of the piece?
– MrJM
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:43 pm:
Thanks, Emil!
- Cletus Purcell - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:44 pm:
You know it is working because it is burning!
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:49 pm:
Apparently Rauner’s thing is trying to “bury” anybody that doesn’t fall into step with his way of thinking.
And @A guy, when you’re ready to come back to reality after the election is over let us know. I’m pretty certain a robot has taken over because there’s no other explanation for a guy who will defend Rauner at all costs.
I look forward to your return.
- Wordslinger - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:51 pm:
Cletus, is that from a flick?
- Dan Johnson - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 1:03 pm:
I worked on this bill with Representative Dan Burke. No client, sadly, but I came across the issue from some environmental groups. They were complaining then about the bullying tactics of the only manufacturer. It makes sense that Rauner would have owned that company.
We ought to ban lindane in Illinois. I wonder how many kids has this cancer-causing toxic chemical applied to their skulls over the last decade or so since the effort to ban it here failed and how much money Rauner made from his business success to continue to sell his toxic product.
- siriusly - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 1:03 pm:
Soccer mom your doc was right. We know a kid who suffers from seizures likely because of this.
- Snucka - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 1:08 pm:
Sick, sick, sick. We are playing with fire in this election. The idea that this man could soon hold public office should frighten every decent citizen in the land. Bruce Rauner is on a mission to savagely hurt the most vulnerable of our citizens.
It makes me sick to my stomach to consider the carnage Bruce Rauner could cause as Governor. I truly hope that the voters are paying attention and do not allow it.
- Matthews Mom - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 6:41 pm:
Also find it interesting that lindane.com run by Morton Grove Pharma/Wochhardt took down their page before someone started running for office
http://web.archive.org/web/20140112111027/http:/lindane.com/
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 9:24 pm:
Lice treatment shampoo is still insecticide, only it is chrysanthemum - based and is harmful to kids with allergies. Lindane was used for years around the world until it was linked to other types of harmful side effects. You cannot kill lice with only one shampooing because only Lindane kills lice and nits. Today’s OTC lice insecticide shampoo is abused by lazy parents who won’t comb out nits and yet expect a shampoo to rid hair of them.
Lindane is available for those children who cannot use OTC lice insecticide shampoos. It is for extreme cases as well. It should be applied with great caution and avoided for most cases. Every year, more children are harmed with home remedies such as kerosene and gasoline than with Lindane.
The hysterical panic over this issue is not warranted. All lice shampoo is toxic insecticide with potential harm for children. If your business is in supplying and manufacturing g any lice insecticide shampoo, you can be accused of wishing harm upon children or selling toxic poison to children.
Because that is what lice shampoo is!