# European Ombudsman finds maladministration over Pfizer text messages

Date: 2022

On 12 July 2022 the [European Ombudsman](/organizations/european-ombudsman) closed case 1316/2021/MIG with a finding of maladministration. The Commission had refused public access to text messages between President von der [Leyen](/people/energy-ursula-von-der-leyen) and Pfizer's chief executive about COVID-19 vaccine purchases and had not registered or searched those messages as documents. The decision is an official transparency finding. It is not a criminal conviction and does not itself prove an unlawful contract.

## People

- Ursula von der Leyen: https://factrail.ai/people/ursula-von-der-leyen

## Drivers

- Vaccine hesitancy and erosion of public trust in immunization: https://factrail.ai/drivers/ph-vaccine-hesitancy

## Sources

- https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/case/en/59777
- https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/decision/en/158295

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/eu-ombudsman-pfizer-text-messages-2022