Sen. Elizabeth Warren is demanding answers from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over whether the administration’s handling of the cyclosporiasis outbreak was affected by lobbying and political donations tied to Taylor Farms’ parent company. In a Thursday letter, Warren said the government’s response appeared confused and potentially compromised, pointing to shifting public guidance, an FDA false positive on iceberg lettuce, and broader cuts to foodborne illness monitoring. She argued Taco Bell gave consumers earlier and clearer information than federal agencies, raising questions about the quality of the public health response. Warren asked Kennedy to respond by Aug. 27 with details on how officials verify tests to avoid false positives and to turn over communications between health agencies and Taylor Farms, which she described as the world’s largest producer of salads and fresh-cut vegetables. The outbreak was traced by health authorities to iceberg lettuce distributed by Taylor Farms in Mexico, prompting a recall from that facility, including bagged salads sold at some Walmart stores. In July, the FDA said a lettuce sample outside the recall tested positive for cyclospora (a parasite that causes intestinal illness), then reversed itself a day later and said the result was a false positive. Taylor Farms later said the FDA "apologized to us," a claim FDA officials disputed. The dispute has added to public confusion over whether Taylor Farms products remained under suspicion. Warren also tied that confusion to what she described as favorable regulatory actions, including the 2025 delay of the FDA food traceability rule and a later reduction in cyclospora tracking through FoodNet (a U.S. foodborne illness surveillance network) by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She said Taylor Fresh Foods, Inc. gave millions to political groups aligned with President Trump, including a $1 million donation to MAGA Inc. one week after the traceability rule was delayed, and said the company also hired a former Trump White House official to lobby for it.