Taylor Farms' White House ties queried by top California Democrat amid cyclospora outbreak

Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, is demanding records from Taylor Farms as he questions whether the lettuce producer sought to influence the federal cyclospora investigation through its White House ties. Garcia, in a letter to Taylor Farms Chief Executive Officer Bruce Taylor, questioned whether the company "used its political donations" to interfere with the US Food and Drug Administration's investigation. Taylor Farms donated more than $2 million to political action committees tied to President Donald Trump and other Republicans in 2025, including $1 million to Trump's super PAC. Federal officials continue to investigate a cyclospora outbreak linked to Taylor Farms lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants. Taylor Farms did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mexican authorities said late Thursday that tests on lettuce and water samples from a Taylor Farms facility in Mexico were negative for cyclospora. Nearly 2,000 confirmed cases across nine states have been linked to the outbreak, the CDC said on Friday, while thousands more infections have been reported to health departments in 41 states.