Oops! FDA Spied On Employees

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration's secret monitoring of its staff raised hackles in Congress on Sunday after lawmakers learned their own offices were apparently targeted by the surveillance operation.

Six current and former FDA scientists and doctors filed a lawsuit in January claiming the agency tried to repress warnings about potential corruption in device reviews.

Documents detailing the surveillance operation suggest it was large-scale and that the FDA kept a list of targets including lawmakers and their aides, The New York Times reported on Sunday.

"It is absolutely unacceptable for the FDA to be spying on employees who reach out to members of Congress to expose abuses or wrongdoing in government agencies," said Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.

Well, it doesn't feel so good when it hits home, does it?  Citizens have suffered incredible losses on the privacy front, and with less reasoning than what's going on here.

The FDA is going to have some uncomfortable moments in the coming weeks or months as this is investigated.  So far, the information coming in points towards a serious, widespread problem.  It will also draw a line and force an updated decision on what is reasonable, and what rights to privacy government employees can expect.