Poul Thorsen

Poul Thorsen is a Danish researcher, who has been accused of financial fraud, and who co-authored some of the most frequently cited studies concluding that there is no link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism, nor between the MMR vaccine and autism. These studies were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and Pediatrics. His alleged fraud involved the use of approximately $2,000,000 in grant money obtained while he was working at the Centers for Disease Control to purchase a house and two cars, among other things. According to the CDC inspector general's office he submitted invoices to Aarhus University and Sahlgrenska University Hospital to make it appear as though the CDC was requesting money from them when in fact the money they gave to these institutions went into a bank account under his own control. Thorsen was indicted in April 2011 on 13 counts of wire fraud and 9 counts of money laundering. He was the subject of an article by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who argued that the validity of studies involving Thorsen are now in question."