Troy Chandler, Attorney at Williams Kherkher:
Dr. Jack W. Snyder, a former doctor at the National Institutes of Health, has been convicted of a felony after years of illegal work testifying on behalf of defendants of asbestos litigation. Dr. Snyder pled guilty to the charges brought against him and was accordingly sentenced to one year probation, 160 hours of community service, and a $200,000 fine. As a government employee, Dr. Snyder was forbidden from taking on work outside of his government job without the consent of supervisors and ethics officials within his department. A summary of the events surrounding this case can be seen in this document.
During a span of three years of running his consulting business on the side, Dr. Snyder was paid nearly $600,000 from his clients, which often included defendants in asbestos litigation. Despite having no real expertise in the subject, Dr. Snyder acted as an expert witness in at least six cases, claiming that the asbestos used by his clients' products was unable to cause mesothelioma. These views directly oppose those of his employer, the National Institute of Health.
I was outraged by the blatant lies that Dr. Snyder made under oath and promptly contacted Dr. Snyder's superiors, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Elias Zerhouni, and the Office of Inspector General. We called for an immediate investigation into Dr. Snyder's actions.
Fortunately, the letter caught the attention of the U.S. Attorney and an official investigation was launched to discover the full details of Dr. Snyder's side job. The investigation confirmed that Dr. Snyder had run a private consulting practice out of his home and government office, and had earned more income lying for asbestos product manufacturers than he did as a government doctor. In the end, Dr. Snyder was convicted of one count violating 18 USC §1001, Making a False Statement on his Financial Disclosure Forms.
Other Supporting Documents
For more information, contact the mesothelioma lawyers of Williams Kherkher by calling 800-781-3955.