Taylor Farms Gave $2 Million to MAGA Groups, Spent $810,000 Lobbying on Food Safety
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Jul 21
Taylor Farms Gave $2 Million to MAGA Groups, Spent $810,000 Lobbying on Food Safety
1 articles · Updated · WIRED · Jul 21
Summary
Federal filings show Taylor Farms donated more than $2 million to conservative groups in 2025, including $1 million to MAGA Inc., while spending $810,000 this year lobbying on food-safety regulation.
The political spending comes as the lettuce supplier sits at the center of a multistate Cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands and triggered scrutiny of its dealings with FDA and White House officials.
Taylor Farms has challenged parts of the federal response, claiming the FDA apologized over a false-positive lettuce test; the agency said no formal apology was made, and executives had already met officials over alleged response “shortfalls.”
The company, with roughly $7 billion in annual revenue, has a longer record of regulatory trouble: FDA tied it to a 2013 cyclospora outbreak, and inspectors since 2025 have found violations at some of 18 plants.
HHS said the donations did not influence the Trump administration’s outbreak response, while food-policy experts said the case reflects broader industry efforts to weaken oversight and limit accountability.