Dave Weldon, a former member of Congress and physician whose nomination to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was pulled just hours before a related Senate committee appearance, said “Pharma” and two Republican senators are responsible.

In a letter Weldon wrote that was obtained by Newsmax, he blames Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Susan Collins of Maine, saying they were instrumental in the surprise pulling of his nomination by the White House.

Regarding Collins, Weldon wrote, “I had a very pleasant meeting with her 2 weeks prior where she expressed no reservation, but at my meeting with her staff on March 11 they were suddenly very hostile-a bad sign.” Weldon said he was accused by the staff of being “anti-vax.” Weldon said it became clear Collins would not vote for his confirmation.

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