CDC Vaccine and Autism researcher indicted for fraud

[daisymommy]

Well isn't this interesting. When Wakefield was charged with fraud it made splashy headlines everywhere. No one is talking about the CDC's principle vaccine and autism researcher, who is said to have debunked the connection--is being indicted for fraud & money laundering, and is being accused of manipulating and losing data in the famous Danish Study. Ouch. http://www.cnbc.com/id/42592600

[arivecchi]

Had not heard, but that is not a news article. It's a press release from a biased source, so I would have to do some more research to really understand what is going on.

ETA: This is the only news article I found on the subject:

http://www.ajc.com/news/metro-news-for-saturday-911639.html?cxtype=rss_news_128746

[o_mom]

Reuters has an article too - only mentions the money, not data fraud.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/13/us-crime-research-funds-idUSTRE73C8JJ20110413

[daisymommy]

He was formally indicted today in court, which is why it's popping up online. Interesting article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr/central-figure-in-cdc-vac_b_494303.html One thing that sticks out in my mind is, if he supposedly paid $2 million dollars to have this research done to discredit any link, and yet he really took the money for himself--then was the research ever really done?

[BabyBearsMom]

I belong to listservs that focus on compliance with federal grants for work, and I have seen a lot about this guy. Everything I have seen is about how he was basically embezzling money from the grant, but nothing about him defrauding his research results like Wakefield did (actually, I think the problem is that he didn't perform all that much research since he was using the money to buy Harleys).

[larig]

Here's an article from a Copenhagen source. They talk a lot about his financial crimes, but not so much about research fraud or anything like that. Certainly people should be pissed that a lot of money that could have been spent on autism research bought this guy a harley, and a house.

http://www.cphpost.dk/news/international/51446-danish-scientist-indicted-in-us.html


It is alleged that over the four-year period he submitted over a dozen false invoices from the CDC for research expenses to Aarhus University, where he held a faculty position, instructing them to transfer the funds to a CDC account, which was in fact his personal account.

[JBaxter]

He was formally indicted today in court, which is why it's popping up online. Interesting article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr/central-figure-in-cdc-vac_b_494303.html One thing that sticks out in my mind is, if he supposedly paid $2 million dollars to have this research done to discredit any link, and yet he really took the money for himself--then was the research ever really done?

Thats what I was thinking. He may not have directly done bad research it seems he didnt do it at all.

[daisymommy]

And yet, supposed conclusions and results are being drawn from this research...

[maestramommy]

And yet, supposed conclusions and results are being drawn from this research...

Are you saying you still believe in the validity of Wakefield's original research? I thought there have been other studies that debunked his conclusions (maybe debunked isn't the right word).

[JBaxter]

Are you saying you still believe in the validity of Wakefield's original research? I thought there have been other studies that debunked his conclusions (maybe debunked isn't the right word).

Melinda I believe what she meant was when Wakefield was "outed" ( lack of a better word because I dont agree with his research) it was all over the news vs when this CDC researched was charged there was little mention of it.

I dont see where Daisymommy was agreeing with Wakefield.

[daisymommy]

Melinda I believe what she meant was when Wakefield was outed (lack of a better word because I dont agree with his research) it was all over the news vs when this CDC researched was charged there was little mention of it.

:yeahthat: The media is very quick to hang someone out to dry and splash it all over the media when it comes to a alternative issue (such as non-vaccinating parents). They enjoy poking and jabbing as if to say--SEE, you were wrong! Ha! Laughs on you!--But when something incriminating comes out about someone involved with the CDC, it's all very hush hush and not very many people publicize or talk about it. Totally biased reporting.

[maestramommy]

:yeahthat: The media is very quick to hang someone out to dry and splash it all over the media when it comes to a alternative issue (such as non-vaccinating parents). They enjoy poking and jabbing as if to say--SEE, you were wrong! Ha! Laughs on you!--But when something incriminating comes out about someone involved with the CDC, it's all very hush hush and not very many people publicize or talk about it. Totally biased reporting.

I see. I apologize for misunderstanding,. But Wakefield's research was so many years ago, it took a long time for it to be officially discredited and for that to be accepted. I assume that is why it was so widely publicized. As for this researcher, if his criminal activities are already being tried, and reported, well isn't that rather short in coming? Has it been established that the research (whether done by him or someone else on his team) was no good either? THAT would be big news.

ETA: just read your OP article, and I apologize again. I thought this researcher had something to do with Wakefield, but the article doesn't mention him at all.

[wellyes]

:yeahthat: The media is very quick to hang someone out to dry and splash it all over the media when it comes to a alternative issue (such as non-vaccinating parents). They enjoy poking and jabbing as if to say--SEE, you were wrong! Ha! Laughs on you!--But when something incriminating comes out about someone involved with the CDC, it's all very hush hush and not very many people publicize or talk about it. Totally biased reporting.
It's not apples to apples, though. Wakefield made up data. He was one man whose faulty research made a huge impact. This guy didn't make up data, he just "coordinated" the work of respectable scientists. And it didn't have the same impact since he's hardly the only one purporting no evidence of a link between autism and vaccines.

What he did do was steal money that was supposed to go to research for kids, which makes him a dreadful human being and a crook.

[arivecchi]

I think that finding fraud in research would indeed be big news. Finding a researcher that defrauded the government is not as flashy/newsworthy. I don't think the media is conspiring with the government as is being insinuated here. There is just not much of a story here - at least not yet.