Wherein I Try to Deal with This Obsession: Does FDA Milk Czar John Sheehan Really Exist?
Sunday, April 19, 2009 at 01:13PM 
I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I traveled 2,500 miles in large measure to snap a photo of a reclusive bureaucrat.
Well, I guess I can blame it on TPTB--they drove me to it.
Here’s the story. For many months I’ve been trying to obtain information about John Sheehan, director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Division of Plant and Dairy Food Safety. I’ve taken to referring to him as the nation’s Milk Czar, since he has been orchestrating much of the anti-raw-milk activity that’s been going on around the country the last few years, and is notable for his frequent quote, “Drinking raw milk is like playing Russian roulette with your health.”
Early this year, I made a formal request of FDA to interview him in connection with the book I am writing about raw milk. No surprise—I was turned down. But what was curious to me was that the agency provided only the sketchiest of biographical information.
In its six sentences, it said Sheehan was a patent lawyer who joined the FDA in 2000 after serving as “a mid-level manager within the dairy industry for 17 years. He has worked for some of America’s largest and most progressive dairy foods organizations.” When I asked for the names of these "most progressive dairy foods organizations," it refused to provide them. It also said it had no photograph of him.
If you do a Google search on Sheehan, you don’t find much. Nothing about his career, and no photos. (There was one site that supposedly had photos of him at a dairy gathering in Poland, but there were two different guys identified as Sheehan.)
Then, in February, I went to the raw milk symposium outside Washington sponsored by the International Association for Food Safety, where Sheehan was scheduled to be a speaker, expecting to meet him. Lo and behold, I was told he canceled out the Friday before without giving a reason. (An FDA spokesperson later said he didn’t attend because there is outstanding litigation—wouldn’t say what—but presumably a civil suit still pending against Organic Pastures Dairy Co.)
By this time, I'm beginning to wonder: Is this guy for real, or just a fun-loving figment of the bureaucracy's imagination? So when I heard about the gathering of the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments being held this weekend in Orlando, I figured what the heck, let’s give it another shot. Yes, I did want to see Mark McAfee of Organic Pastures make his pitch for lifting the ban on interstate shipments of raw milk (more on that in anoter post).
But this thing with Sheehan was becoming something of an obsession. Sheehan didn’t attend Mark McAfee’s presentation early this morning, but an associate of his, Cindy Leonard, the presenter of the notorious 2005 FDA slide presentation that slams raw milk, was on the committee hearing the McAfee proposal.
Afterwards, I tried to engage Leonard, but she refused, saying there was litigation that prevented her from commenting, and she walked away from me. A few minutes later, I saw her in the hallway, and tried again, saying I just wanted to ask her about the Division of Dairy and Plant Food Safety. This time, she turned and actually started running from me, which was a tad awkward, since she was wearing high heels.
But at a general session following McAfee’s presentation, I got someone to point out my real prey, John Sheehan. I had to listen a lengthy presentation about parliamentary rules, but finally, I got my chance. I decided to snap my photos first, before engaging in conversation, and you can see the results. (The blog software isn't cooperating fully; the bottom photo happened first.) I wish I could say Sheehan was being cute by putting the notebook in front of his face, but I don’t think he was. The photo taken immediately after he relented I think was just an effort on his part to keep from embarrassing himself in front of other people there. The reason I don’t think he’s being funny is because this was my conversation with Sheehan after taking the photos:
“Hi, I'm David Gumpert.”
“Yes, I know who you are.”
“I wonder if we could chat for just a few moments.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don't want to.”
Well, you have to give the guy credit for being honest. No more funny stuff about "pending litigation." He just doesn't want to be f****ing bothered. If a guy doesn’t want to talk to you, not much you can do, even if you do help pay his salary. But at least I do know one thing: John Sheehan really does exist.
Reader Comments (15)
What does the (DY) stand for? Wow, david, this really shows how tptb wish to "work together" to resolve issues..... Shows how unprofessional they truely are.
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/58/94a
http://www.caught.net/caught/shee.htm
http://www.mass.gov/obcbbo/bd02-049.htm
Is this the same John F. Sheehan?
http://www.foodsafety.gov/~dms/fsceissu.html Towards the bottom is a photo of him in Hungary.
No wonder Sheehan has covered his face. He is a fugitive from the people, ethical standards and justice in general. Who nominated him anyway?
Mark
This is your opportunity to do a "Roger and Me" parody. *That* would be funny.
Amanda
Wonder if Mr. Sheehan answers the same way to questions from his new bosses in an administration which claims to value transparency in government.
Each and everyone of the FDA staff that I addressed or spoke with at the NCIMS conference....started their side of our conversation with...."I can not talk with you".
Firstly that means that they know me and recognize me and secondly....
That means that someone in the FDA briefed all FDA staff to be on the alert for McAfee and "if you see the raw milk madman....you are directed to either run away or not say anything to him".
It is interesting that I was approached today by at least 20 people and everyone wanted my presentation package and a copy of my comments and remarks and complimented me on my speech.
Some were very gratefull that some one is saying what I am saying....cause no body else can or will.
Breakin NEWS!!
Prior to the NCIMS meeting today, Camel milk was not regulated by the FDA or the PMO. The FDA in a power grab now regulates a broad range of mammals milk including Camels. Our rights are being sucked from us and we do not even know it. A producer in texas was trying to get the right to sell Camel milk and now he is in trouble.
Another sneak attack!!! Now the Arabs have some thing that they can really get pissed about.
The FDA operates in a secret vacuum. A vacuum that does not consider citizens opinions. The FDA considers two things: the impact on its favorite industries and how sterile the food will become.
Our country is in trouble.
Mark
To ask us is the camel grass fed seems to reveal that you are very angry and have no understanding of what is naturally required to ensure a healthy cow that will produce the King of all foods RAW MILK that will inturn produce healthy human beings.
OUR COUNTRY IS IN DEEP DEEP TROUBLE for many reasons and one is our forced practicing of the 5th and also the 9th plank of Karl Marx's insane manifesto. The 5th is central banking the 9th is agribusiness. If we had followed Article 1 Section 10 of the US Constitution we would not be is such an undiserable position as we ALL are now.
And no Lykke I am not at all offended [maybe just a little] by what you said but that is your RIGHT and I hope WE will never loose that RIGHT to FREEDOM of SPEECH but I am not so sure anymore.
MiLK IN THE RAW [MONTROSE, CO}
Consumers at odds {again} with TPTB and a pic of our friend Scott Freeman
http://www.montrosepress.com/articles/2009/04/18/news/doc49ea5f73501f4778611886.txt
Maybe cp and Lykke are trying to tell us that there is another,a better,way to assure access to the food we want without butting heads with the regulators.Obviously we participate in many activities without the motivation of monetary gain as a goal.Indeed, we do many things that result in the loss of money simply because we enjoy them or benefit in some other way from them.
Fighting and arguing with regulators is not productive activity for us.Of course they don't have the authority to tell anyone what they can or cannot eat.They aren't trying to tell us what to eat.They are trying to protect "the public" from what they see as unscrupulous businesses.Let them do that.Meanwhile ,let those people who want access to unpasteurized milk pool their resources and produce it for themselves.Lets put our energy into creating the kind of world that we would like to leave to our children.Forget about playing the commercial game with its millions of complicated rules that need to be obeyed.We don't need to do that.Let's step out of that commercial game and pool our resources to create a world that includes clean air ,water and food.Let's forget the chase after money.We can obey the LAW and live in peace with the regulators .All we have to do is be clear that we are not engaged in any commercial activity at all.
miguel, it seems to me that if one has a family cow and someone seeking real food sees it they will be inclined to ask if they can buy milk. is it ok to provide it to them under your proposed model to not solicite business?
it seems to me that the underground milk industry is strong and completely silent about it. i see this as a great way to ever so slowly expand awareness.
one guy i know saw a family cow and said "oh i really like raw milk, but my wife would never consider it, she drinks "soy milk" . a week or so later i saw him, he said when he mentioned it to her she was excited and eager to obtain the real stuff, throwing off the soy so quickly he was stunned. as far as i know they are enjoying the real thing eagerly and with not a second thought.
i could relate 25 or more similar stories with ease.
how would one avoid such a business opportunity?
why should one avoid it?
besides cowshares how would one structure such a business?
People come to me regularily and ask if they can "buy" some milk.Usually this happens when people are lined up to fill their jars.Some people are doing calculations and handing me money.I always say" no, you cannot buy any milk".They look at me with a puzzled look and then ask how they can get some milk.The answer is "if you help support the farm in any way,you become one of the producers and the milk is yours of course."
Why do we feel compelled to think of what we are doing as a business?Wouldn't it be more accurate to call it community organizing?The people that find us are always people who are very interested in their health and the quality of the food they eat.We bring them together and they get to know each other.
We should avoid describing what we do ,whatever it is,as a business because that invites regulation.
We are family and friends of family working together to produce our food.We love each other.We want everyone to be healthy and happy.Do we need some kind of structure other than love?
You are obviously thinking that there is profit to be made in such a "business".I have been involved in different aspects of milking cows since 1972.Even when we tried very hard to make a profit at this,we failed.Now I hope to cover the costs and have access to excellent quality food.The food is all the profit I seek.
All you have to do is find work that you enjoy and do it whether it makes you money or not.Awareness will expand all on it's own without our help.
yes indeed. they have lacked opportunity until now.
Your comments are very insightful. Helped me to better understand the core conflict with regulators, and you offer a possible alternative. Something to think about.
I personally know John and he is a wonder fellow. His shell is thick but that is an understandable facade.
Cheers, John.