Brenda Fitzgerald, whom President Trump tapped as CDC director last year, announced her resignation Wednesday, one day after it was reported she had purchased stock in a tobacco company one month into her leadership last year.
“Dr. Fitzgerald owns certain complex financial interests that have imposed a broad recusal limiting her ability to complete all of her duties as the CDC Director,” a Health and Human Services spokesman said in a statement. “After advising Secretary Azar of both the status of the financial interests and the scope of her recusal, Dr. Fitzgerald tendered, and the Secretary accepted, her resignation.”
Politico reported Tuesday that Fitzgerald purchased between $1,000 and $15,000 of Japan Tobacco, one of the largest tobacco companies in the world, on August 8. She also purchased stock in the health insurance and food industries at that time. An HHS spokesman said Tuesday that the purchases were made by Fitzgerald’s financial account manager, and “did not change the scope of Dr. Fitzgerald’s recusal obligations.”
Some former officials criticized the Fitzgerald for sloppy optics and a potential ethics violation, with former Bush chief ethics lawyer Richard Painter saying owning tobacco stock “gives a terrible appearance.”
Fitzgerald sold all her stock holdings above $1,000 by November. It was not immediately clear what interests she still owns that necessitated her continued recusal.
