The pediatrician advising the U.S. government on how best to handle Elian Gonzalez -- who told the press the 6-year-old Cuban refugee is being "horrendously exploited" and should be "immediately" removed from Miami relatives' home -- was a member of first lady Hillary Clinton's secretive health care task force.

Dr. Irwin Redlener was vice president of the health Professional Review Group for the White House Task Force on National Health Care Reform in 1993, according to biographical information posted on the Children's Health Fund website, a child advocacy and health group of which he is president. The Childrens' Health Fund was founded by Redlener and pop singer Paul Simon to advocate for health care for homeless children.

Although very influential, Redlener is seen by critics as a left-leaning physician-activist. On his website, he refers to himself as "Pediatrician/Child Advocate Irwin Redlener, M.D."

Redlener made headlines earlier this week when the details of a letter he sent to the Justice Department and the Immigration and Naturalization Service were made public. In the letter, he recommended the government turn the boy over to his father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez -- a viewpoint shared by federal officials, Attorney General Janet Reno and the first lady. Mrs. Clinton said she was opposed to congressional legislation granting Elian permanent U.S. citizenship.

"Elian Gonzalez is now in a state of imminent danger to his physical and emotional well-being in a home that I consider to be psychologically abusive," Redlener wrote in his letter Monday to federal officials.

Redlener was asked by INS Commissioner Doris Meissner to provide "strategic guidance regarding management of the Elian Gonzalez case," and to assemble a team of mental health professionals to establish "guidelines to ensure an orderly and positive transfer of the child to the custody of his father," the letter said.

However, Redlener has been criticized for his analysis, not only because of his past association with the first lady's health care reform movement, but also because his team based its decision on a videotape showing Elian wagging a finger and shouting that he didn't want to return to Cuba. Neither Redlener nor any team members actually met with the boy or any of his relatives who are currently sheltering him and seeking to keep him in the U.S.

"In recent days the crisis has taken a profound turn for the worse," said the letter. "There are continued, frantic legal maneuverings of the Miami family, a bevy of new, unfounded allegations of paternal abuse raised by the custodial family about the father's former relationship with Elian and the release of a videotape showing this six-year-old boy expressing anger and other most unusual behaviors on what appeared to be a coached, homemade recording.

"All of this has significantly raised the stakes and our level of concern about Elian's immediate well-being, particularly since it is occurring in an environment of radical hysteria," the letter said.

Redlener and his team recommended that federal officials "immediately" remove the boy from the home of his relatives, return him to his father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, and "the custodial family to participate in discussions around implementation of reunification recommendations made by your own mental health consulting team."

He added: "I believe there is no justification whatsoever to wait any longer in carrying out actions that I believe are legally appropriate and, more importantly, clearly in the best interest of this child who continues to be horrendously exploited in this bizarre and destructive ambiance."

During his career, Redlener has also served as a physician special consultant to the White House, as well as Expert Consultant to Assistant Secretary for Health, Department of Health and Human Services.

Currently he serves as president of the Children's Hospital, Director of the Child Health Network, and Director of Community Pediatrics at New York's Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.