Second senior FDA official departs after claiming she was fired

Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg, former acting director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, became the second high-ranking official to leave the agency this week after saying she was fired Friday.

Høeg's departure followed that of former FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, who publicly resigned Tuesday after days of rumors that President Donald Trump was unhappy with him.

Høeg, who worked closely with Makary on drug regulation before she was named CDER head in December, said she was forced out.

"I said I didn’t want to resign," Høeg told MD Reports in an interview published Friday. "I said I’m not signing a letter of resignation if it’s not my choice."

"They made it clear that it wasn’t their decision," she told the outlet. "They said it was from someone above them, from someone way above their pay grade."

Høeg will be replaced by her former deputy, Dr. Mike Davis, according to an FDA email to staff obtained by The Associated Press.

The White House has not commented on her departure, but her exit may be part of a larger shakeup after Makary's resignation. Former director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Katherine Szarama is also leaving, along with FDA Chief of Staff Jim Traficant, according to STAT News.

Fox News Digital contacted the White House, the FDA, HHS and Høeg for comment.