The Company Accused of Poisoning Baby Formula Gave Trump $500,000. Then the Criminal Case Was Dropped.

A company accused of poisoning baby formula from 2021 to 2022 just got the kind of “get-out-of-jail-free card” that most criminal defendants can only dream about.

In late June, the Justice Department quietly dropped its criminal investigation into Abbott Laboratories, the maker of Similac and largest supplier of infant formula, just months after the company cut a $500,000 check to Trump’s inaugural fund.

If Abbott Laboratories rings a bell, it’s because it was behind one of the biggest public health disasters of the Biden era. In 2022, Abbott Labs shut down its Sturgis, Mich., baby formula plant after deadly bacteria was found inside the facility. This contamination was linked to at least five infant deaths. 

The closure also triggered a nationwide baby formula shortage that left parents driving across state lines, emptying store shelves, and desperately searching for food to keep their babies alive. During this time, nearly 40% of the most popular baby formula brands were out of stock—a crisis that the GOP repeatedly weaponized.

Meanwhile, prosecutors at the Justice Department were building what the Wall Street Journal described as a strong criminal case.

In 2022, former FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, Frank Yiannas, testified before Congress that inspectors found five strains of bacteria inside the plant and that the facility was “out of control.” And it wasn’t just the DOJ going after this company. 31 states sued Abbott, accusing the company of creating a “culture of concealment” by hiding contamination concerns from the FDA. 

What makes this so bizarre, however, isn’t that the government is claiming Abbott Labs is innocent. The DOJ is STILL accusing the company of knowingly failing to follow manufacturing standards meant to keep dangerous bacteria out of baby formula. But even though the government’s position hasn’t really changed, its punishment has.

Instead of facing criminal prosecution, Abbott Labs now only has to worry about civil penalties—so basically, they can very easily pay their way out of this. 

Months before the criminal case disappeared, Abbott quietly donated half a million dollars to Trump’s inaugural committee. Abbott’s former CEO, Miles White, along with employees and their families, also poured millions into a super PAC supporting Doug Burgum before he landed a Cabinet job in the Trump administration. 

The Trump administration has repeatedly argued that it’s restoring law and order and cracking down on crime. But why doesn’t that philosophy apply to powerful corporations with political connections? When ordinary Americans break the law, they’re told accountability matters. But when billion-dollar companies are accused of endangering public health, accountability suddenly looks a LOT more negotiable.

Oh, and one last detail. Trump’s latest financial disclosure shows he purchased hundreds of thousands of dollars in Abbott Labs stock before his Department of Justice shut down the criminal investigation. So much for the administration that makes its personality about having babies…