Taylor Farms political donations questioned amid cyclosporiasis outbreak
(FOX40.COM) — Past political donations from Taylor Farms are raising eyebrows as the California-based produce supplier is tied to an ongoing parasitic outbreak.
Over the weekend, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a positive test for cyclosporiasis in a Taylor Farms product that was outside the scope of the company’s ongoing recall — and then quickly retracted that result Sunday.
“Due to the complexity in detection of Cyclospora, FDA laboratory experts re-reviewed the sample results and have concluded that the finding does not represent true amplification and should be considered a false positive,” the FDA said in a statement.
A FDA official said Monday the false positive test does not change the “very strong” epidemiological evidence connecting the company to the cyclosporiasis outbreak. The agency still advises the public to not eat the recalled produce from Taylor Farms, including Marketside-brand iceberg salad and shredded lettuce from Walmart.
Read more: CDC links cyclosporiasis outbreak to Taco Bell lettuce
Amid the confusion, several left-leaning social media accounts noticed a political connection between Salinas-based Taylor Farms and President Donald Trump.
According to campaign contribution records from the Federal Election Commission, Taylor Farms has donated more than $3.8 million to conservative-aligned groups this decade.
Just last year, the company made two million-dollar donations: $1 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, which supports Republican candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, and $1 million for MAGA Inc., a super PAC that supports Trump.
Additionally, CEO and founder Bruce Taylor has donated more than $1 million himself to Republican-aligned PACs over the past two decades.
Neither Taylor Farms nor the FDA responded to FOX40’s requests for comment.
Under the second Trump administration, the FDA has seen massive job cuts, with the agency shrinking by more than 4,000 employees since the start of 2025. According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the FDA lost 3,879 employees last year and another 705 so far in 2026.
According to the New York Times, the FDA’s investigation has tied the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak to Taylor Farms de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V.
Agency records show the central Mexico facility was last inspected on June 21, 2019.
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