Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), a member of the House Oversight Committee, is asking some pointed questions about whether Taylor Farms used its White House connections to influence how the government handled a nationwide cyclospora outbreak linked to its recalled lettuce.
On Monday, Garcia sent a letter to CEO Bruce Taylor demanding answers about the company's role in the outbreak, which has reportedly sickened thousands across multiple states.
“Taylor Farms donated millions to President Trump, met privately with the White House the night the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified their lettuce as the source of this outbreak and then reportedly tried to distance themselves from this outbreak,” Garcia told CBS News.
The FDA had announced a strong link between cyclosporiasis illnesses and iceberg lettuce served at Yum! Brands Inc.'s Yum! Brands (YUM) Taco Bell locations in five states, but initially didn't name Taylor Farms as the source, Garcia said.
According to him, federal officials had already contacted Taylor Farms, whose executives then met privately with the White House and FDA on July 16 to dispute the findings. After the FDA shared information linking the company's lettuce supply to the outbreak, Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled its iceberg lettuce product the next day. The FDA later identified Taylor Farms de Mexico as the sole source of the potentially contaminated lettuce.
Garcia also alleged that Taylor Farms donated more than $2 million to Republican-aligned political action committees in 2025, including a $1 million contribution to President Donald Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC. That donation came shortly after the Trump administration delayed a food safety rule designed to improve produce traceability, while the company also spent heavily on lobbying related to food safety regulations.
The White House and Taylor Farms did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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