A Georgia jury ordered Bayer, the parent company of Monsanto, to pay over $2 billion in damages in a cancer lawsuit brought by John Barnes, who developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after using Roundup for two decades. The ruling, which includes both compensatory and punitive damages, underscores the company’s failure to uphold ethical business practices regarding product safety.

The City of Chicago, led by Mayor Brandon Johnson and Corporation Counsel Mary B. Richardson-Lowry, filed a lawsuit against Monsanto alleging that the company knowingly released toxic PCBs into the environment, misleading the public about the dangers and causing long-term harm to the city's air, water, and soil. The lawsuit emphasizes the impact of corporate mismanagement on marginalized communities and the environment.

The article details how Monsanto leverages vast resources to buy political power through extensive lobbying efforts, including representation by multiple lobbying associations, hiring of lobbyists, funding sympathetic scientists, and engaging in greenwashing projects. These practices contribute to corporate capture of policymaking and undermine democratic accountability.

Monsanto Company pleaded guilty to 30 environmental offenses, including unlawfully spraying banned pesticides on corn fields and improperly storing hazardous waste. The company allowed workers to enter treated fields during prohibited periods, thereby endangering their health and violating federal regulations.

A 2017 proxy memo from As You Sow details a shareholder resolution critiquing Monsanto for its minimal disclosure regarding its political lobbying activities. The report highlights that Monsanto only discloses payments to a limited number of trade associations and omits direct and indirect lobbying expenditures, thereby potentially exposing the company to significant reputational and financial risks.

An OpenSecrets profile reveals that during the 2016 cycle, Monsanto contributed $755,146 and spent $4.6 million on lobbying. Moreover, a high percentage of their lobbyists (42/48 in 2015 and 25/30 in 2016) were former government officials, suggesting significant revolving door practices and potential regulatory capture.

The article details Monsanto’s political contributions to a wide range of House and Senate candidates, with donations spanning both parties. It highlights the company's entrenched ties within US political institutions, suggesting that regardless of electoral outcomes, Monsanto secures favorable access to government channels.

In 2005, Monsanto admitted to bribing an Indonesian official to weaken environmental oversight of GE crops, resulting in a $1.5 million fine. This incident highlights how the company manipulated regulatory systems to serve its financial interests at the expense of public safety and transparent governance.

Over several decades starting in the early 1990s, Monsanto leveraged a revolving door strategy by placing former government officials in key positions and engaging in extensive lobbying. This work manipulated GMO regulation and public policy, undermining independent oversight and democratic accountability.