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Former cheesemaker pleads guilty in listeria outbreak that killed two people
A former cheese manufacturer and the company he owned pleaded guilty on Tuesday to misdemeanor charges related to a 2016-2017 outbreak of listeria that hospitalized eight people and killed two.
Johannes Vulto and Vulto Creamery of Walton, New York, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of causing the introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce between December 2014 and March 2017, the Department of Justice announced.
Vulto Creamery’s soft raw cheese was behind the sole multistate outbreak of listeriosis in 2017, resulting of a nationwide recall of the raw milk cheeses sold by the company, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
FDA investigators found workers at the creamery did not wash their arms before using them to stir and break up cheese curds, including one employee with multiple cuts and abrasions on his arms. Swabs of Vulto’s creamery repeatedly tested positive for the bacteria over the three-year period.
“This investigation and prosecution holds accountable the defendant and his business who through unsafe practices caused illness and death to consumers in an entirely preventable tragedy,” U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman for the Northern District of New York stated in a statement.
A sentencing date will be set by a magistrate judge in Syracuse, New York, the Justice Department said.
The creamery was shut down in 2017 by a federal court, which barred Vulto and its owner from making or distributing food in the future.
Federal investigators are currently investigating another listeria outbreak tied to cheese and other dairy products sold by Modesto, Calif.-based Rizo-López Foods.
At least 26 people in 11 states have been stricken in the ongoing outbreak, with 23 hospitalized, according to the CDC. One person died in California in 2017, and another fatality occurred in Texas in 2020, the agency said in its latest update on the outbreak.
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Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
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