Trumpâs Consumer Product Safety Nominee Defended Deadly Products
Dana Baiocco
Dana Baiocco  President Donald Trumpâs pick to sit on the Consumer Product Safety Commission  made her name helping companies avoid responsibility for harmful products. A partner at law firm Jones Day   Baiocco  has represented big tobacco and fought in court against asbestos workers who developed mesothelioma.
But the cases  she âs litigated that may conflict most directly with the CPSCâs mission of protecting the public from dangerous products involve all-terrain vehicles. While the CPSC was leading a campaign over ATV safety   Baiocco  was representing Yamaha in several suits over  its  two-person Rhino ATV.
 Baiocco âs appointment would put Republican appointments in the majority of the five-person commission  which could halt or reverse progress on a number of issues  including restrictions on off-highway vehicles  a category that includes ATVs. âIndustry very much wants the agency to abandon that rule-making â said Rachel Weintraub  legislative director and general counsel for the Consumer Federation of America. âAnd once there is a Republican majority  that may happen.â
In a letter  Baiocco  sent to the CPSC special counsel last month  she said she would recuse herself from âany particular matter in which I know that I have a financial interest directlyâ and issues that are of direct interest to her husbandâs firm  White and Williams. The letter didnât specifically address ATVs or Ikea dressers.
Remington A. Gregg  counsel for civil justice and consumer rights at Public Citizen  said  Baiocco  should âabsolutely recuse herselfâ from those and âany products sheâs worked on.â
Itâs unclear how many of those products she might encounter as a CPSC commissioner. In addition to Yamaha   Baiocco  who has worked at Jones Day since 1998   has defended R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in a class-action suit filed on behalf of smokers in Florida. According to a financial disclosure form she submitted to the Senate   Baiocco  received at least $5 000 âin a yearâ from 13 clients  including R.J. Reynolds  Volkswagen AG  and the chemical manufacturer Daikin Industries  in addition to  her  more than $1.2 million salary from Jones Day.  She  also represented Honeywell Safety Products in a suit filed by the survivors of a worker who developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos at the World Trade Center site.  Her  client list also includes airplane parts manufacturer Parker Hannifin  which  she âs represented in wrongful death cases involving 13 people  including the late Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan.
 Baiocco  and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Consumer advocates will be closely watching Baioccoâs confirmation hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee  which is scheduled for Wednesday. âWe want to hear that  she âs actually concerned about health and safety and that  she  would work to protect our families â said Gregg. â Her  career shows the opposite.â
[TGT] President Donald Trumpâs pick to sit on the Consumer Product Safety Commission  made  [TGT]  name helping companies avoid responsibility for harmful products. A partner at law firm Jones Day   Baiocco  has represented big tobacco and fought in court against asbestos workers who developed mesothelioma.
But the cases  she âs litigated that may conflict most directly with the CPSCâs mission of protecting the public from dangerous products involve all-terrain vehicles. While the CPSC was leading a campaign over ATV safety   Baiocco  was representing Yamaha in several suits over  its  two-person Rhino ATV.
  [TGT]  would put Republican appointments in the majority of the five-person commission  which could halt or reverse progress on a number of issues  including restrictions on off-highway vehicles  a category that includes ATVs. âIndustry very much wants  [TGT]  to abandon that rule-making â said Rachel Weintraub  legislative director and general counsel for the Consumer Federation of America. âAnd once there is a Republican majority  that may happen.â
In a letter   [TGT] sent to the CPSC special counsel last month   [TGT]  said  [TGT]  would recuse  [TGT]  from âany particular matter in which I know that I have a financial interest directlyâ and issues that are of direct interest to  [TGT]  husbandâs firm  White and Williams. The letter didnât specifically address ATVs or Ikea dressers.
Remington A. Gregg  counsel for civil justice and consumer rights at Public Citizen  said   [TGT] should âabsolutely recuse herselfâ from those and âany products sheâs worked on.â
Itâs unclear how many of those products  [TGT]  might encounter as a CPSC commissioner. In addition to Yamaha   Baiocco  who has worked at Jones Day since 1998   has defended R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in a class-action suit filed on behalf of smokers in Florida. According to a financial disclosure form  [TGT]  submitted to  [TGT] received at least $5 000 âin a yearâ from 13 clients  including R.J. Reynolds  Volkswagen AG  and the chemical manufacturer Daikin Industries  in addition to   [TGT]   more than $1.2 million salary from Jones Day.   [TGT]   also represented Honeywell Safety Products in a suit filed by the survivors of a worker who developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos at the World Trade Center site.   [TGT]   client list also includes airplane parts manufacturer Parker Hannifin  which   [TGT]  âs represented in wrongful death cases involving 13 people  including the late Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan.
 Baiocco  and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Consumer advocates will be closely watching Baioccoâs confirmation hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee  which is scheduled for Wednesday. âWe want to hear that  she âs actually concerned about health and safety and that  she  would work to protect our families â said Gregg. â Her  career shows the opposite.â