NEW: The complicated ouster of top vaccine scientist RICK BRIGHT — a fight over Covid-19 treatment and his management decisions, and the Trump team’s push to oust him dating back more than a year. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/22/hhs-ousts-vaccine-expert-as-covid-19-threat-grows-201642">https://www.politico.com/news/2020...

Bright led the health department’s vaccine arm until this week — reportedly finding out about his transfer when he couldn’t get into his email.

Bright told NYT’s @maggienyt today he was forced out for opposing malaria drugs touted by Trump. https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/1253049457924542464">https://twitter.com/maggieNYT...

But Trump appointees had been trying to oust Bright for more than a year, unhappy with his management. POLITICO first learned about those disputes last year, before the Covid-19 outbreak hit the U.S.

Bright didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment across Wednesday.

POLITICO first wrote on March 27 about how Trump’s push for malaria drugs to fight Covid-19 was warping the health department’s response, and again on April 6 on health officials’ concerns (and being silenced). https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/06/trump-drug-coronavirus-hydroxychloroquine-170543">https://www.politico.com/news/2020...

UPDATE: Rick Bright, vaccine expert who said he was ousted for opposing Trump’s drive to acquire malaria drugs, recently praised the acquisition in internal emails. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/22/hhs-ousts-vaccine-expert-as-covid-19-threat-grows-201642">https://www.politico.com/news/2020...

The Trump administration has been working to oust Bright since last year, as officials battled with him over his management and leadership.

With permission, sharing this time-stamped text from individual with knowledge of those fights.