The collection of documents known as The Monsanto Papers represents one of the most significant exposures of corporate malfeasance in modern history. These internal documents, numbering in the millions of pages and obtained by Wisner Baum (formerly Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman) through legal discovery, reveal a systematic, decades-long campaign by the agrochemical giant to manipulate scientific research, corrupt regulatory processes, and deceive the public about the safety of its flagship herbicide, Roundup.
The Monsanto Papers tell an alarming story of ghostwriting, scientific manipulation, regulatory capture, coordinated attacks on independent scientists, and the creation of sophisticated intelligence operations targeting journalists and activists. These documents, which Monsanto fought to keep secret, provide unprecedented insight into how a powerful corporation systematically undermined scientific integrity and public health protections.
Wisner Baum's Pioneering Role in Declassifying the Monsanto Papers
Wisner Baum distinguished itself as one of the few law firms committed to bringing the Monsanto Papers into the public domain, employing a strategic and proactive transparency approach that was, and still is, unique in corporate litigation. Working in collaboration with the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in the federal multidistrict litigation, the firm utilized the protective order provisions to systematically challenge Monsanto's confidentiality designations, sending a detailed 28-page chart that challenged dozens of specific internal company documents.
When Monsanto refused to engage meaningfully in the meet-and-confer process and told the attorneys to "go away," Wisner Baum recognized that the company had failed to file the required motion within 30 days to preserve confidentiality, automatically waiving protection under Paragraph 16.3 of the Protective Order. This strategic legal maneuvering, led by attorney R. Brent Wisner, resulted in the first major declassification of internal Monsanto documents on August 1, 2017.
Beyond merely winning legal battles over document access, our firm remained deeply committed to public transparency by proactively sharing the declassified documents with journalists, key regulatory agencies, and international lawmakers. We sent documents to the EPA Office of Inspector General investigating potential collusion between EPA and Monsanto, California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), which had listed glyphosate as a carcinogen, and European Parliament members who were considering glyphosate's registration renewal in the European Union.
Attorneys R. Brent Wisner and Michael Baum traveled to Brussels to personally brief Members of Parliament and provide testimony to EU committees, while continuing to systematically release additional document batches over a period of years.
Ultimately, our firm has made available hundreds of documents that reveal corporate ghostwriting, regulatory capture, and systematic attacks on independent science. Our transparency-first approach, which we believe is essential because the public, regulatory agencies, and scientists need to see what happens behind the curtain of corporate unaccountability, helped make Wisner Baum a leader in using mass tort litigation discovery as a tool for broader corporate accountability.
What the Monsanto Papers Revealed
Systematic Corporate Influence Campaign
The documents reveal not isolated incidents of misconduct, but a coordinated, multi-decade strategy that extended from academic journals to government agencies. Internal communications show company executives directly involved in strategies to manipulate scientific literature and regulatory processes, demonstrating how corporate resources were deployed to shape public discourse about product safety.
Sophisticated Scientific Manipulation
The papers expose extensive ghostwriting practices where Monsanto employees or contractors wrote scientific articles published under the names of supposedly independent researchers. The most prominent example involved a 2000 publication by Williams et al. that has been frequently cited as evidence of glyphosate's safety, but internal emails revealed that Monsanto scientists had substantially drafted the manuscript while external authors received primary credit.
Regulatory Capture at the Highest Levels
Among the most disturbing revelations were extensive coordination between Monsanto and officials at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Internal emails revealed a particularly troubling relationship with Jess Rowland, a senior EPA official leading the agency's assessment of glyphosate's cancer risk, who coordinated with Monsanto to suppress independent safety reviews.
Intelligence Operations Against Critics
The documents revealed the creation of Monsanto's "Intelligence Fusion Center" - a sophisticated monitoring operation that tracked journalists, activists, and scientists critical of the company. This intelligence gathering extended to personal character assassination campaigns, mirroring tactics used by the tobacco industry to attack scientists studying smoking-related health risks.
Broader Implications for Corporate Accountability
The Monsanto Papers exposed fundamental vulnerabilities in:
- Scientific Publishing Systems: How corporations can systematically corrupt research literature.
- Regulatory Independence: The dangers of industry capture of government agencies.
- Public Health Protection: How corporate influence can undermine safety assessments.
- Democratic Discourse: The use of sophisticated propaganda techniques to manipulate public opinion.
These revelations provided a blueprint for understanding how corporate influence operates in practice, offering crucial lessons for protecting scientific independence and strengthening regulatory oversight.
The Ongoing Legacy
The Monsanto Papers continue to serve as a defining case study in corporate accountability and the ongoing struggle to maintain scientific integrity in an era of powerful commercial interests. They demonstrate both the sophisticated methods by which corporations can manipulate public discourse and the crucial role of legal discovery in exposing such misconduct.
As new documents were published through litigation, the Monsanto Papers became a vital resource for understanding the intersection of corporate power, scientific integrity, and public health protection. Today, they underscore the importance of maintaining transparent, independent research institutions and robust regulatory oversight to protect public welfare from corporate influence campaigns.
Monsanto Papers Timeline
March 13, 2017: U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria ruled that certain documents obtained by plaintiffs in the Monsanto Roundup multidistrict (MDL) litigation could be unsealed. Subsequently, the judge published them on March 14 and March 15 on the website for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. These were the very first evidence to be declassified.
June 30, 2017: Our firm, along with the leadership of the Roundup multidistrict litigation (MDL), challenged the protection of another group of documents, in an effort to make them available to the public. In a meeting to discuss the matter, Monsanto told the plaintiffs’ attorneys to “go away” and that the company would not voluntarily agree to de-designate any documents.
Pursuant to Paragraph 16.3 of the Protective Order in the MDL, Monsanto was required to file a motion seeking continued protection of those documents challenged by the Plaintiffs’ June 30, 2017 letter within 30 days. In failing to file such motion within 30 days, i.e., July 31, 2017, Monsanto “automatically waive[s] the confidentiality designation for each challenged designation.” Id. ¶ 16.3. And, since Monsanto did not file any motion seeking continued protection of the documents, it waived confidentiality over them.
August 1, 2017: A second group of documents are now officially public, and our attorneys are excited to share them with the world.
We sent the August 2017 batch of Monsanto secret documents to (1) the EPA Office of Inspector General, Arthur Elkins, Jr., who is presently investigating whether there was illegal collusion between EPA and Monsanto; (2) the California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), which listed glyphosate as a substance known to the state of California to cause cancer on July 7, 2017 and is soliciting comments from our law firm and others to advise about whether glyphosate should be given a safe-harbor; and (3) the European Parliament members, who, on July 4, 2017, sent a letter to the judge overseeing the MDL litigation, requesting documents as the EU considers whether it will renew registration of glyphosate for sale in Europe.
April 24, 2019: Our attorneys released a new batch of 300+ declassified documents obtained during discovery. We also added several new categories. Since 2017, our firm has added more than 400 documents to the Monsanto Papers. All Monsanto Papers documents can be viewed in our Master Chart at the top of this page.
August 15, 2019: We released our third batch of documents. These documents reveal Monsanto’s efforts to defund IARC, their involvement with Reuter’s reporter Kate Kelland, the creation of their ‘Intelligence Fusion Center’ targeting journalists and activists critical of Monsanto, and more about their manipulating science.
Index of People in the Monsanto Papers
Abadin, Henry
- Branch Chief at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Acquavella, John
- Former Monsanto Company Scientist, Paid Monsanto Consultant. Currently works as a Consultant/Professor Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University
Adams, Steven
- Monsanto Company Chemistry Regulatory Affairs Manager
Belvaux, Xavier
- Regulatory Affairs Lead for Monsanto Europe and Middle East
Carpintero, David
- Former Monsanto Europe Corporate Affairs Lead for Crop Protection
Chassy, Bruce
- University of Illinois Professor and Paid Monsanto Company Consultant
Collins, Janet
- CropLife America Senior Vice President of Science and Regulatory Affairs
Cowell, John
- Former Monsanto scientist. Co-wrote an occupational pesticide exposure study with John Acquavella. At the time, both Cowell and Acquavella were Monsanto employees.
Dean, Nasser
- Executive at Bayer CropScience, Western Growers member, California Seed Association member
De Billot, Maurice
- Monsanto Europe Regulatory Affairs Lead
DeRoos, Anneclaire J. (De Roos 2005)
- Lead author on ‘Cancer incidence among glyphosate-exposed pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study.’ Study found suggested association with multiple myeloma associated with glyphosate exposure.
DeSesso, John
- Scientist and Monsanto Company Consultant. Currently works for Exponent
Farmer, Donna
- Monsanto Company Lead Toxicologist. Monsanto employee since 1991
Flagg, Lisa
- Monsanto Global Product Quality Lead, Crop Protection
Garnett, Richard
- Monsanto Company (Europe) Global Crop Protection Regulatory Affairs Strategy Lead. Also Chair of the Glyphosate Task Force
Gasnier, Celine (Gasnier 2009)
- Lead author of the study ‘Glyphosate-based herbicides are toxic and endocrine disruptors in human cell lines
Glick, Harvey
- Monsanto Executive, Asia Regional Director, Regulatory Policy and Scientific Affairs since 2006
Goldstein, Daniel
- Monsanto Company Lead, Medical Sciences and Outreach and Distinguished Science Fellow. Monsanto employee since 1998
Graham, William (Bill)
- Former Monsanto Co. International Regulatory Affairs Manager for Glyphosate. Currently works as a consultant
Greim, Helmut (Greim 2015)
- German toxicologist and lecturer, co-wrote a review on glyphosate, which found the chemical is not carcinogenic. His co-author, David Saltmiras, was a Monsanto employee. The study was funded by Monsanto.
Gustin, Christophe
- EMEA Crop Protection Regulatory Affairs Lead, Monsanto Europe. Former Regulator Affairs Manager for Glyphosate
Haupfear, Eric
- Monsanto Director of Process Technology
Hayes, Wallace (Wally)
- Former Editor of the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology
Healy, Charles
- Former Monsanto Company Manager of Toxicology Programs (1989 – 2010)
Heering, David
- Monsanto Company Strategy, Compliance, Operations Lead, U.S. Technology Development
Heydens, William (Bill)
- Monsanto Company Product Safety Assessment Strategy Lead. Previously worked as Toxicology Manager, Toxicology & Human Risk Assessment Lead, Product Safety Center Lead, and Global Chemistry Regulatory Affairs Lead. Monsanto employee since 1990
Housenger, Jack
- Former Director of EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs. Now retired
Jenkins, Dan
- Monsanto Company Director of Regulatory Affairs, United States. Liaison for Monsanto to U.S. regulatory agencies including U.S. EPA, USDA, FDA, and Fish & Wildlife Services for all biotechnology and chemistry products
Kier, Larry and Kirkland, David (Kier & Kirkland, 2013)
- Published the study ‘Review of genotoxicity studies of glyphosate and glyphosate-based formulations.’ The study found that glyphosate, nor formulation poses a risk to humans. At the time of the study, Larry Kier was a Monsanto toxicologist. He later became a consultant for Monsanto. David Kirkland was paid over $15,000 for 10 days of work on the project.
Koch, Michael
- Monsanto Company Toxicologist
Levine, Steven
- Environmental Assessment Strategy Lead at Monsanto Company
Listello, Jennifer
- Molecular biologist at Monsanto Regulatory Affairs
Lynch, John
- Monsanto Canada Regulatory Affairs Lead
MacInnes, Alison
- Monsanto Research Scientist
Manibusan, Mary
- Former EPA official, sat on CARC Committee with Jess Rowland. Now works for Exponent
Martens, Mark
- Former Monsanto Executive, worked in Toxicology Agriculture Research & Development for Monsanto Europe. Currently works as a consultant
McCarthy, Gina
McClellan, Roger
- Editor of the journal Critical Reviews in Toxicology, which published the Expert Panel Manuscript on glyphosate. Monsanto paid a number of experts on the panel.
Miller, Henry
- Former Forbes contributor and fellow of the Stanford Hoover Institute. Forbes cut ties with Miller and his articles were retracted for his failing to disclose conflict of interest with Monsanto.
Monken, Josh
- Former Monsanto Regulatory Affairs Specialist. Currently Monsanto Communications and Technology Writing Manager
Natarajan, Sekhar
- Former CEO Monsanto India. Sits on Board of Directors for Monsanto Global. Managing partner of SN Consultants
Nguyen, Khue
- EPA Chemical Review Manager
Nyangulu, James
- Monsanto U.S. Agency Regulatory Affairs Manager
Parry, James
- Former Monsanto consultant who found evidence of glyphosate genotoxicity and gave suggestions for Monsanto to perform additional tests
Roberts, Ashley
- Intertek Scientific & Regulatory Consultancy Staff, Ph.D. Senior Vice President, Food & Nutrition Group
Rogers, Stephen G.
- Former Monsanto chief technology officer and former Monsanto research scientist
Roose, Bart
Rowland, Jesudoss (Jess)
- Former Deputy Division Director of EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (retired). Author of CARC report which found glyphosate is not carcinogenic. Had close ties to Monsanto, now works as a consultant for chemical industry
Sachs, Eric
- Monsanto Company Scientist, Science and Policy Lead Since 2005
Saltmiras, David
- Former Monsanto Company Toxicology Manager. Currently works for Bristol-Myers Squibb
Seralini, G.E.
- Molecular biologist, professor at University of Caen since 1991. Lead author of a two-year feeding study on rats which reported tumors among rats that were fed Roundup
Sorahan, Thomas (Tom)
- Scientist and Paid Monsanto Company Consultant
Stump, Jeremy
- Monsanto North America Vice President of Government Affairs
Vale, Allister
- Toxicologist. Co-authored a 2004 study on glyphosate, which found the weight of evidence is against surfactants potentiating the toxicity of glyphosate
Vaughn, Ty
- Monsanto Company Vice President of Global Regulatory Affairs
Williams, G.M., Kroes, R. & Munro, I.C. (Williams, Kroes & Munro, 2000)
- Wrote the review ‘Safety evaluation and risk assessment of the herbicide Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, for humans.’ The review concluded “Roundup herbicide does not pose a health
News Coverage of the Monsanto Papers
- USRTK: Emails Reveal Science Publisher Found Papers On Herbicide Safety Should Be Retracted Due to Monsanto Meddling – Carey Gillam | Aug. 23, 2019
- The Intercept: Emails Show Monsanto Orchestrated GOP Effort to Intimidate Cancer Researchers – Lee Fang | Aug. 23, 2019
- Le Monde (France): The arsenal deployed by Monsanto against its detractors, including journalists – Diane Regny | Aug. 12, 2019
- The Guardian: Revealed: how Monsanto’s ‘intelligence center’ targeted journalists and activists – Sam Levin | Aug. 8, 2019
- The Guardian: How Monsanto manipulates journalists and academics – Carey Gillam | June 2, 2019
- Greenpeace: Monsanto: Busted – Rex Weyler | May 3, 2019
- USRTK: New Monsanto Documents expose connection to Reuters reporter – Carey Gillam | Apr. 25, 2019
- USRTK: Monsanto Exec Reveals $17 Million Budget For Anti-IARC, Pro-Glyphosate Efforts – Carey Gillam | Mar. 27, 2019
- CBC (Canada): Court documents reveal Monsanto’s efforts to fight glyphosate’s ‘severe stigma’ – Gil Snochat and Sylvie Fournier | Mar. 2, 2019
- CBC (Canada): ‘Troubling allegations’ prompt Health Canada review of studies used to approve popular weed-killer – Gil Snochat | Nov. 11, 2018
- Bloomberg: Monsanto’s Role in Roundup Safety Study Is Corrected by Journal – Joel Rosenblatt, Peter Waldman and Lydia Mulvany | Sept. 27, 2018
- Democracy Now: How Monsanto Plants Stories, Suppresses Science & Silences Dissent to Sell a Cancer-Linked Chemical – Amy Goodman | Aug. 14, 2018
- Le Monde (France): The Monsanto Papers, Part 1-2 – Stephane Horel and Stephane Fourcat | 2017-2018 Horel, Fourcat and Le Monde were honored with the European Press Prize for Investigative Reporting in 2018 for their reporting work on the Monsanto Papers
- Der Spiegel (Germany): Monsanto Faces Blowback Over Cancer Cover-Up – Philip Bethge | Oct. 24, 2017
- The Nation: Did Monsanto Ignore Evidence Linking Its Weed Killer to Cancer? – Rene Ebersole | Oct. 12, 2017
- New York Times: Monsanto Emails Raise Issue of Influencing Research on Roundup Weed Killer – Danny Hakim | Aug. 1, 2017
- Bloomberg: Monsanto Was Its Own Ghostwriter for Some Safety Reviews– Peter Waldman, Tiffany Stecker and Joel Rosenblatt | Aug. 9, 2017
- Fair: Reuters vs. UN Cancer Agency: Are Corporate Ties Influencing Science Coverage? – Stacy Malkan | July 24, 2017
- EURACTIV: From the Monsanto Papers to IARC-gate: A glyphosate story – Andre Heitz | July 19, 2017
- HuffPo: Monsanto Spin Doctors Target Cancer Scientist In Flawed Reuters Story – Carey Gillam | June 18, 2017
- Times: Monsanto Weed Killer Roundup Faces New Doubts on Safety in Unsealed Documents – Danny Hakim | Mar. 14, 2017
