The AMA said it would honor Sen. Grassley’s request and reported that less than 2 percent of its funding comes from industry donations.
Following an outcry from members 12 years ago, the AMA cancelled an agreement with the Sunbeam Corp. under which it would have endorsed Sunbeam products in return for payments. In 1998, the AMA paid Sunbeam $9.9 million to settle a breach-of-contract lawsuit.
Other organizations, however, still have industry ties. When Sen. Grassley requested industry donation data from the National Alliance on Mental Illness earlier this year, NAMI revealed that two-thirds of its budget came from industry sources, prompting a NAMI board member to resign in protest.
Read Sen. Grassley’s letter to the AMA (pdf).
