Vaccine Researcher Trying To Debunk Measles-Autism Claims Extradited To US On CDC Fraud Charges
by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
A researcher who co-authored papers that he and others
What the Documents Show
Between 2000 and 2009, the CDC distributed more than $11 million to Danish government agencies ostensibly to investigate any relationship between autism and vaccines. When Thorsen moved to Denmark in 2002, he became the grant's principal investigator—effectively controlling the distribution of federal research money. The charging documents allege Thorsen submitted fabricated expense papers that caused Aarhus University to transfer millions into accounts Thorsen controlled personally rather than legitimate CDC accounts. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg stated that "Thorsen allegedly stole more than $1 million in federal grant money by submitting fabricated invoices and diverting funds to his personal bank accounts." The diverted funds allegedly purchased a home in Atlanta and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, among other acquisitions. A federal judge ordered Thorsen held without bail after he pleaded not guilty.
Follow the Money
The mainstream narrative focuses narrowly on the fraud allegations themselves. What receives less attention is the context: Thorsen's research papers were widely cited as definitive evidence debunking vaccine-autism causation claims. The studies emerged during a period of intense public debate over vaccine safety and autism prevalence. His published work influenced regulatory policy and public health messaging. Now, the researcher behind those influential papers stands accused of submitting falsified documentation to federal agencies—raising uncomfortable questions about the integrity of the underlying research and the vetting processes that allowed millions in grants to flow through what prosecutors describe as fraudulent channels. For ordinary people, the implications extend beyond one researcher's criminal conduct.
What Else We Know
When scientists administering large federal grants face credibility questions due to financial malfeasance, it inevitably affects public confidence in the research outcomes those grants produced. The case demonstrates that institutional oversight of grant money and research integrity may have significant gaps, particularly when principal investigators operate from foreign locations with limited supervision. Regardless of whether Thorsen's vaccine-autism research conclusions were scientifically sound, the fraud allegations underscore a troubling possibility: that major public health claims can be anchored to work produced under circumstances involving documented financial misconduct and falsified paperwork.
Primary Sources
- Source: ZeroHedge
- Category: Corporate Watchdog
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