U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Questions Medical Journals' Editorial Integrity

U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr., a Trump appointee, has sent letters to at least three prominent medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and CHEST, raising concerns about alleged bias, suppression of alternative viewpoints, and potential partisanship in scientific debates. The letters questioned the journals' editorial integrity, asking how they protect the public from misinformation and whether they accept competing viewpoints, particularly in light of relationships with advertisers and funders. NEJM and CHEST have affirmed their commitment to evidence-based recommendations, editorial independence, and rigorous peer review processes, emphasizing their responsibility to doctors, patients, and scientific integrity. Legal counsel for some journals is reviewing the requests, while public health advocates have criticized the letters as attempts to intimidate academic publishing and stifle free scientific discourse. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between scientific independence and political oversight in the U.S. medical publishing landscape.