Core Points - The resignation of George Tidmarsh from the FDA occurred shortly after being placed on administrative leave due to personal conduct concerns [1][4] - Tidmarsh was sued for defamation by Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, which accused him of having a personal vendetta against the company's chairman [2][6] - Tidmarsh's LinkedIn post, which labeled Aurinia's lupus drug as toxic, led to a significant drop in the company's stock price [2][9] Group 1: Tidmarsh's Resignation and Legal Issues - Tidmarsh was placed on administrative leave after serious concerns about his personal conduct were raised [4] - He resigned two days later, with the HHS Secretary emphasizing the expectation of high ethical standards [4] - Aurinia Pharmaceuticals filed a lawsuit against Tidmarsh, claiming he harbored a vendetta against its chairman, Kevin Tang [2][6] Group 2: Impact on Aurinia Pharmaceuticals - Following Tidmarsh's LinkedIn post, Aurinia's shares fell approximately 20% before recovering slightly [5][9] - The company’s chairman, Kevin Tang, has a history with Tidmarsh, having previously asked him to resign from multiple positions due to management concerns [6][7] - Aurinia alleged that Tidmarsh sent harassing messages to Tang and targeted companies associated with him after joining the FDA [7][8] Group 3: Tidmarsh's Claims and Concerns - Tidmarsh claimed his leave was a result of raising concerns about the legality of a drug approval program, which he believed politicized the review process [3] - He later clarified that his LinkedIn post reflected his personal views and not those of the FDA [9]