Public Citizen Experts
To reach any of these experts, please call the Press Office at (202) 588-7742, (202) 588-7779, or (202) 588-7741. If you cannot reach someone at any of those numbers, please call the main line at (202) 588-1000.
Leadership
Robert Weissman, Public Citizen President
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Robert Weissman is a staunch public interest advocate and activist, as well as an expert on corporate and government accountability. He is available to discuss the effect of money on politics, economic and regulatory policy, trade and globalization, financial reform, prescription drug pricing and access to the courts.
Read a more detailed bio of Robert Weissman.
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Background:
- President of Public Citizen (Sept. 8, 2009-present)
- Director of the corporate accountability organization Essential Action (1995-2009)
- Editor of the Multinational Monitor, a magazine that tracks multinational corporations (1989-2009)
- Helped make HIV drugs available to the developing world and has provided assistance to numerous governments on intellectual property and access to medicine issues
- Public interest attorney at Center for Study of Responsive Law (1996-2009)
- Member of the Ohio bar
- Earned J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude
Media Appearances:
Weissman has appeared on CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, PBS, CNBC, NPR and Marketplace Radio,
and has been published and quoted in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Economist, The Financial Times, The Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Time Magazine.
Good Government
Lisa Gilbert, Director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch Division
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Lisa Gilbert is the director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch division. She advocates for government transparency and integrity, financial reform, civil justice, and consumer protection.
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Background:
- Previously, Gilbert was the Democracy Advocate for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, where she focused on good government, ethics, and campaign finance reform.
- Prior to U.S. PIRG, Gilbert was a campaign director who organized outreach campaigns to pass legislation on social justice and environmental issues for organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign, Sierra Club and Environment Washington.
Media Appearances:
Gilbert has testified before Congress and been quoted in publications such as The New York Times, The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and NPR. She was also a featured contributor to the National Journal's "Expert Blog" on lobbying and ethics, and writes frequently for The Huffington Post, Yahoo Finance, and Think Progress.
Susan Harley, Deputy Director
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Susan Harley is the deputy director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch division. She helps coordinate all aspects of the division’s advocacy across multiple issue campaigns ― specializing in financial reform, international tax issues and open government initiatives.
Read a more detailed bio of Susan Harley.
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Background:
- Policy director, Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund
- Consultant, Michigan’s Children
- J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law, cum laude
Media Appearances:
Harley has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Roll Call, The Nation, TIME, Consumerist, Columbus Business First, Battle Creek Enquirer, among other media. She is a blog contributor to The Hill and Huffington Post. Harley has appeared on America’s Workforce Radio, The Union Edge, Uprising with Sonali, Living Room, Saturday Morning Talkies, KBOO/Portland and other broadcast media outlets.
Emily Gardner, Worker Health and Safety Advocate
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Emily is an expert on occupational health, worker safety and whistleblower rights.
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Background:
- Research Editor, National Security Law Journal
- George Mason University School of Law, JD
- Policy Associate, NARAL Pro-Choice America
- American University, BA in Political Science and Women's and Gender Studies
Craig Holman, Government Affairs Lobbyist
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Craig Holman, Ph.D. serves as Public Citizen's Capitol Hill lobbyist on ethics, lobbying and campaign finance rules.
Holman is an expert on campaign finance reform, governmental ethics, lobbying practices and the impact of money in politics.
Read a more detailed bio of Craig Holman.
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Background:
- Senior Policy Analyst at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law
- Assisted in drafting campaign finance reform legislation
- Author of numerous reports and research projects on the initiative process and the impact of money in politics
- Served as an expert witness or principal researcher in several court cases defending campaign finance laws, including McConnell v. FEC
Media Appearances:
Holman has appeared on CNN, CNBC, Fox News, Pacifica Radio and NPR, and has been quoted in publications such as The National Journal, USA Today, Roll Call, Congressional Quarterly and The Associated Press.
Taylor Lincoln, Research Director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch Division
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As director of research at Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division, Taylor Lincoln has authored or co-authored numerous reports on subjects concerning regulations, health care, worker safety and political spending, among other topics.
Lincoln has been quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, among other publications and has appeared on CNN, CNBC, NPR and other broadcast media outlets.
Read a more detailed bio of Taylor Lincoln.
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Background:
- Wrote for Washington, D.C. area newspapers, including The Federal Paper, The Potomac Tech Journal and the Montgomery Journal.
- Master's degree in journalism from the University of Maryland
- B.A. in English from the University of Michigan
Media Appearances:
Lincoln has been quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and Huffington Post, among other publications. He has appeared on CNN, CNBC, NPR and other broadcast media outlets.
Amit Narang, Regulatory Policy Advocate
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Amit Narang is an expert on issues related to the federal regulatory process.
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Background:
- Articles Editor of The Administrative Law Review, a widely circulated legal journal focused on regulatory law and policy
- J.D. American University-Washington College of Law
- B.A. University of Pennsylvania
Media Appearances:
Narang has been quoted in The New York Times and BNA.
Bartlett Naylor, Financial Policy Advocate
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Bartlett Naylor is an expert on corporate governance, financial markets and shareholder rights.
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Background:
- Consultant for Capital Strategies Consulting, Inc.
- Director of the Office of Corporate Affairs for Teamsters Union
- Chief of Investigations for the U.S Senate Banking Committee
Media Appearances:
Naylor has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Hill, The Washington Times, Dow Jones, Minnesota Public Radio, Daerings Navingslv and El Mercurio, among other media.
Health and Safety
Michael Carome, MD, Director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group
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Dr. Michael Carome is an expert on issues of drug and medical device safety, pharmacy compounding, Food and Drug Administration oversight, healthcare policy, and the protection of human research subjects.
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Background:
- Deputy director, Public Citizen's Health Research Group, January 2011-May 2013
- Associate director for regulatory affairs at the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) within the Department of Health and Human Services
- Staff nephrologist at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Department of Medicine
- Director of the Division of Compliance Oversight within OHRP
- M.D. from Case Western Reserve University
- Internal medicine resident and nephrology fellow at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
- Guest researcher at the Renal Cell Biology Section of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health
- Fellow in the American College of Physicians
Media Appearances:
Carome has been quoted in publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Associated Press, Reuters, U.S. News and World Report, USA Today, The Boston Globe, British Medical Journal, and Science. He has appeared on National Public Radio’s Diane Rehm Show and NBC Nightly News.
Sidney Wolfe, MD, Founder and Senior Adviser of Public Citizen's Health Research Group
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Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe is an expert on issues of drug safety, health care policy, Food and Drug Administration and hospital oversight, OSHA, medical devices, Medicare and Medicaid and doctor discipline.
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Background:
- Director, Public Citizen's Health Research Group,1971-2013
- Member of the Food and Drug Administration's Drug Safety and Risk Management Committee since August 2008
- Researcher at the National Institutes of Health specializing in aspects of blood-clotting and alcoholism
- Adjunct Professor of Internal Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Media Appearances:
Wolfe has appeared on CNBC, CBS, NPR, ABC, NBC, PBS and Fox News, and has been quoted in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post.
Sammy Almashat, MD, MPH, Researcher with Public Citizen's Health Research Group
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Dr. Sammy Almashat is an expert on various aspects of pharmaceutical and medical device safety and policy, with a focus on the FDA; and occupational health, primarily related to federal and state OSHA oversight of workplace toxins and physical hazards.
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Background:
- Preventive Medicine Residency and MPH degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
- Internship in Internal Medicine at the University of Florida
- M.D. from West Virginia University
Media Appearances:
Almashat has been quoted in publications such as the Associated Press, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, and Los Angeles Times, appeared on Yahoo Finance, Al Jazeera America, and Univision, and presented before FDA advisory committees and the National Press Club.
Sarah Sorscher, JD, MPH, Attorney with Public Citizen's Health Research Group
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Sarah Sorscher is an expert on consumer health and safety issues, including regulation of compounding pharmacies, drug and medical device regulation and ethics in clinical trials.
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Background:
- Consumer Representative, Food and Drug Administration Bone, Reproductive and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee
- Clerk for the Honorable Stephen Glickman, Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
- Graduate cum laude from Harvard Law School/ School of Public Health
Media Appearances:
Sorscher has been quoted or published in the Washington Post, National Public Radio, USA Today, CNBC, Fox News, US News Health, HuffPost Live and other appearances.
Prescription Drug Pricing, Access to Medicines and Technology Rules
Peter Maybarduk, Director of Public Citizen's Access to Medicines Program
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Peter Maybarduk helps partners around the world overcome high-price pharmaceutical monopolies and secure the benefits of science, technology and culture for all. He is an intellectual property expert and is available to discuss drug pricing, trade and technology policy. See: www.citizen.org/access.
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Background:
- Maybarduk’s analysis and strategy helped eliminate many harmful measures from the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership.
- His work has yielded HIV/AIDS medicine price reductions, new state access to medicines policies and global shifts toward anti-counterfeiting policies that safeguard generic competition.
- Maybarduk has provided technical assistance to international organizations and to public agencies and civil society groups in more than three dozen countries.
- He is a visiting fellow with the Information Society Program at Yale Law School.
- J.D. Berkeley Law School (University of California), certificate in technology law, editor at the California Law Review
- B.A. with honors in anthropology, magna cum laude, The College of William & Mary in Virginia
- Maybarduk’s prior work includes cultural ethnography in South America’s Orinoco river delta and organizing campaigns for voting rights and living wages, among others. He is the co-founder of International Professional Partnerships for Sierra Leone, dedicated to supporting public sector development in one of the world’s least developed countries.
- Maybarduk is a composer and performer of music.
- Read Public Citizen’s recent profile of Maybarduk.
Media Appearances:
Maybarduk has been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Times of India, The Guardian, and other major papers.
Energy
Tyson Slocum, Director of Public Citizen's Energy Program
Background:
- Member of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Energy and Environmental Markets Advisory Committee since May 2009
- Policy Analyst at Citizens for Tax Justice
Media Appearances:
Slocum has appeared on CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News and Comedy Central's "Colbert Report," and has been quoted in publications such as Forbes, CNNMoney.com, The Hill, The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Associated Press and Los Angeles Times.
Allison Fisher, Outreach Director for Public Citizen's Energy Program
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Allison Fisher is an expert in engaging and organizing communities to challenge dirty energy sources at the local and state level and on issues such as the relapse of nuclear energy.
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Background:
- Master's degree in Macro Social Work (Community Organizing) from the University of Connecticut
- B.A. in International Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Rural Youth at Risk Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala
Media Appearances:
Fisher has been quoted in publications such as The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun and Bloomberg.com; has been interviewed on Pacifica Radio; and has presented at conferences such as Greenfest and Power Shift.
Climate
David Arkush, Managing Director of Public Citizen's Climate Program
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David Arkush is the managing director of Public Citizen’s Climate Program. He has broad experience advocating for consumers before all three branches of government, having lobbied extensively before the U.S. Congress and federal regulatory agencies and litigated complex cases in the federal courts.
Read a more detailed bio of David Arkush.
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Background:
- Director of Public Citizen Congress Watch
- Law Professor at University of Richmond School of Law
- J.D. from Harvard Law School
- B.A. from Washington University
Media Appearances:
Arkush has appeared on CNN, CBS, ABC, CNBC, NPR, and Fox News Channel, and been quoted by publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the Associated Press, The Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, The Chicago Tribune, TIME, Bloomberg, POLITICO, Roll Call, and The Hill.
Trade
Lori Wallach, Director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch
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Lori M. Wallach is an expert on the operations and outcomes of trade policies such as NAFTA, WTO, CAFTA and more. She is steeped in the domestic and international politics of current trade negotiations and disputes. Wallach works closely with Congress and civil society, scholars, and activists in the U.S and developing countries to foster the growing debate about implications of different models of globalization on jobs, off-shoring, wages, the environment, public health and food safety; equality and social justice and democratically accountable governance.
Read a more detailed bio of Lori Wallach.
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Background:
- Author of numerous articles and books, most recently Whose Trade Organization?
- Founder and board member of Citizens Trade Campaign
- Prior to law school, Wallach worked for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Media Appearances:
Wallach has appeared on CNN, NPR, ABC, CNBC, Fox News, PBS, Bloomberg TV, BBC and C-SPAN, and has been quoted publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, USA Today, BNA and National Journal.
Legal Issues
Allison Zieve, Director of Public Citizen Litigation Group
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Allison Zieve is an expert in issues such as public health litigation, regulatory law, open government, federal preemption, class action abuse and the First Amendment.
Read a more detailed bio of Allison Zieve.
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Background:
- Staff attorney at Public Citizen Litigation Group since 1994
- Has argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and numerous federal appellate and trial courts
- Published articles on FDA regulation, tobacco, preemption and the Freedom of Information Act
Media Appearances:
Zieve has been quoted in publications such as The New York Times, The National Law Journal, The Chicago Tribune, The Hill, Legal Times, Newsday, The Houston Chronicle, Los Angeles Times and The San Francisco Chronicle.
Rachel Clattenburg, Attorney
Background:
- Former Supreme Court Assistance Project Fellow at Public Citizen
- Clerk for the Honorable S. Martin Teel, Jr. of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia
Paul Alan Levy, Attorney
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Paul Alan Levy is an expert in issues of Internet free speech, removal jurisdiction, and the representation of lawyers in trouble; from sanctions, contempt findings and the like.
Read a more detailed bio of Paul Levy.
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Background:
- Clerk for the Honorable Wade H. McCree, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- Special Assistant to Solicitor General McCree
- Chair of the subcommittee on domain name litigation of the American Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Section
Media Appearances:
Levy had been quoted in publications such as Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Sun, The Dallas Morning News, Editor & Publisher, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune and The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Julie Murray, Attorney
Background:
- Margaret Fund Fellow in Education and Employment, National Women's Law Center
- Clerk for the Honorable Marsha S. Berzon, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Media Appearances:
Murray has been quoted in publications such as The Washington Post, The Associated Press, The Washington Times, Politico, and The National Law Journal.
Scott Nelson, Attorney
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Scott Nelson is an expert in issues of access to presidential records, Freedom of Information Act cases, campaign finance law, administrative law, OSHA standards, class action lawsuits and practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Read a more detailed bio of Scott Nelson.
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Background:
- Partner at Miller, Cassidy, Larroca & Lewin, LLP
- Clerk for the Honorable Byron R. White, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
Media Appearances:
Nelson has been quoted in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The San Francisco Recorder, The Legal Intelligencer, Legal Times, the Chronicle of Higher Education and The Oregonian.
Adina Rosenbaum, Attorney
Background:
- Clerk for the Honorable Martha Craig Daughtrey of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- Former editor of the New York University Law Review
Media Appearances:
Rosenbaum has appeared on NPR and has been quoted in publications such as The Associated Press, University Wire, The Washington Post, Congressional Quarterly, The Washington Times and Legal Times.
Public Citizen Texas
Tom "Smitty" Smith, Director of Public Citizen's Texas Office
Background:
- Board Member for Clean Water Action
- Board Member for the Texas Wind Power Coalition
- Board Member for Texans for Public Justice
- Board Member for Campaigns for People
- Board Member for the Clean Energy Project of CEERT
- Former Director of the Houston Foodbank
Media Appearances:
Smith has appeared on many local Texas news channels, including CBS 42, KXAN-TV and KVUE-TV, and has been quoted in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News, The Houston Chronicle, The Associated Press and The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.