The Department of Justice has closed its investigation into Abbott Laboratories, the manufacturer of infant formula that was tied to a 2021-22 outbreak of cronobacter infections.
Four babies were sickened and two died in the outbreak. All four were fed Abbott’s infant formula. After the outbreak, Abbott recalled its Similac, Alimentum and EleCare formula and closed a manufacturing plant, leading to a severe nationwide shortage of infant formula. The company has since reopened the manufacturing facility.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) launched an investigation into the situation after cronobacter was found in the Abbott manufacturing plant in Sturgis, MI. The cronobacter species found at the plant did not match that from samples taken from the sick infants, but the Food and Drug Administration reported that did not mean the implicated species had not been present when the formula in question was produced.
The Wall Street Journal and Reuters news service have reported that the DOJ ended its investigation into Abbott after it came to light that the company gave $500,000 to President Trump’s inauguration committee. The White House and Abbott have not responded to requests for comment from the news outlets.
A Public Citizen analysis published in April 2025 listed Abbott among 58 corporations facing federal investigations or enforcement that together gave $50 million to Trump's inauguration, with Abbott's contribution recorded at $500,000.
Abbott's ties to the administration reach further than the donation, according to the International Business Times. The company's former chief executive, Miles White, now serves as Trump's Secretary of the Interior.
At the time the DOJ investigation began, some prosecutors believed they had enough evidence to file criminal charges against Abbott. However, when the investigation was closed, the DOJ decided to merely take back money the company earned from selling formula through federally funded nutrition programs, the Journal reported.
