The Environment

[Mad]

1990; Mt. Angel, Oregon: Nine FDA agents, 11 US marshalls, and 8 heavily armed Oregon state police raid Highland Laboratories, kicking in both front and back doors. Over an 11 hour period, virtually everything except tables and chairs is carted off to waiting trucks, including many items not listed on the search warrant, at a total value of $37,000. Nobody was informed about the grounds for the raid, the "supporting affidavit" being suppressed by the court. The seized property was taken to an undisclosed location. Mr. Kenneth Scott, owner, and other Highland employees were threatened with violence if they attempted to enter the company premises, and the daughter of the owner was held "in house arrest" for 12 hours at a location several miles away. Highland subsequently reopened, and hired a separate outside mailing service to satisfy FDA requirements. In response, the FDA raided the mailing service, which was a small business run out of the home of a woman in another town. Finding nothing there except mailing equipment and business records, FDA agents threatened to confiscate the woman's checkbooks and cash, failing to do so only after being begged not to. When she asked them "Why are you doing this?", the agent replied "Somebody's got to do it!!" Because of the raids, the owner of the mailing firm subsequently closed her business, and refuses to file charges out of fear of government reprisals(!!). No charges were ever filed by the FDA against anyone, nor has any of the seized property been returned. The FDA still has not given anyone reasons for their outrageous tactics, which were designed simply to put the firm out of business.(14)


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