More is being reported on Rick Perry's Crony Capitalists Pals and abuse of slush fund in the ongoing Cancer Research scandal. This scandal has been developing and the more that is reported the dirtier it gets. Article headlines at the Houston Chronicle give some idea:
Feb. 5, 2013: Legislators offer cancer agency reforms
Jan. 29: State cancer grant recipient shuts down
Jan. 10, 2013: Cancer foundation releases its donor list
Dec. 20: Legislators turn heat on cancer agency
Dec. 19: Senator seeks CPRIT reforms
Dec. 12: Salary idea paid off for cancer agency exec
Dec. 11: Leader of cancer agency resigns; state opens probe
Dec. 7: Cancer agency chair wants missing emails found
Dec. 5: Texas cancer agency leader comes under fire
Dec. 3: Group calls for federal inquiry into CPRIT
Nov. 30: Texas lawmakers demand answers from cancer agency
Nov. 29: Cancer agency admits rules were broken in $11 million grant
See also:
Scientists Quit Texas Cancer Institute in Flap (a Nobel Laureate and thirty three others).
Previously:
Only In Texas could cancer research be considered a cash cow for venture capitalists and/or hedge fund managers.
Yes, indeed a fresh new crop of Rick Perry's hand picked crony foxes will replace the foxes who resigned from the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas recently. Call it the revolving door of Rick Perry's big donors and close friends whose financial generosity and loyalty will be rewarded by plum appointments that head state agencies and universities.
The latest:
CPRIT’S top grantee improperly spent $1.3 million, legislators told
Texas lawmakers were told Wednesday that he recipient of the biggest grant given by the state’s cancer-fighting agency (The Statewide Clinical Trials Network of Texas, or CTNeT, shut down last week after the state stopped advancing it money) had spent $1.3 million — or one-sixth of its taxpayer money — on nonallowable costs such as bonuses, moving expenses and honorariums for board members before it ceased operations.
Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas started in 2007 behind a push led by cancer survivor Lance Armstrong and Gov. Rick Perry, CPRIT spent most of its first five years basking in acclaim and industry awe of the unprecedented amount of taxpayer dollars committed to a state-run, cancer-fighting effort. Only the National Institutes of Health now doles out more cancer funding dollars than CPRIT, which has so far awarded nearly $700 million total.
Also:
Panel Cancels Testimony on Cancer Agency
AUSTIN — Scheduled legislative appearances by two former top officials of the state cancer-fighting agency were canceled Wednesday because investigators looking into improprieties raised concerns the testimony could grant the ex-officials immunity.
[...]
Jim Pitts, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said invitations to Bill Gimson, former executive director of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, and Dr. Alfred Gilman, its former chief scientific officer, were rescinded at the request of the Texas Attorney General's Office and the Travis County District Attorney's Office.
[...]
The state auditor last week released a damning audit, documenting problems with two major grants already reported by newspapers and identifying flaws and conflicts of interest with a third, $25 million grant to a statewide clinical trials network. That organization shut down last week with little to show for the $10 million it had spent.
Bottom Line:
Public testimony of CPRIT is suspended in order to protect a criminal investigation by those in charge who were party to the crime and appointed the panel.
Jim Pitts, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said invitations to Bill Gimson, former executive director of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, and Dr. Alfred Gilman, its former chief scientific officer, were rescinded at the request of the Texas Attorney General's Office and the Travis County District Attorney's Office.