Former FDA Commisioner Crawford Pleads Guilty to Fraud

Lester Crawford, the former FDA commissioner who abruptly left the agency two months after being confirmed, pleaded guilty to failing to disclose financial conflicts and making false statements, but is unlikely to spend more than a few months in prison, his attorney says.

The sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 22, Crawford's attorney, Barbara Van Gelder of Wiley Rein & Fielding, said. While the judge will determine the sentence, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has agreed to no more than six months in prison and will not object to the lower end of the range, she added.