Trusting Politicians and the Biotech Industry

Trusting Politicians and the Biotech Industry

Can a responsible journalist question the ethics of a lawyer, a politician
or a biotech corporation? (Joan Vennochi, "Troubling beginnings for biotech
council chief," Boston Globe, August 30, 2007, page A9) This is the biotech
industry. They bring more food to poor people. They cure illnesses. They can do
no wrong. And even if they do wrong the benefit to society outweighs any harm to
individuals. That was the defense of the Nazi doctors at Nuremberg.
This is another administration led by a Harvard lawyer. Is there a question
about the integrity of Harvard corporate lawyers too? The biotech industry wants
taxpayer funding for research. They will share those funds with the politicians.
They are not greedy.
Vennochi discusses the connections of politics to human services
corporations, which are not for profit. Ahem! Are there abuses in the industry
which employs the caring professions? Are they suspected of wrongdoing? I am
shocked.

Roy Bercaw, Editor, ENOUGH ROOM

Troubling beginnings for biotech council chief
Boston Globe
By Joan Vennochi
August 30, 2007

FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS Biotechnology Council, the desire for political access is
also a prescription for political controversy.

The council's new president, Robert K. Coughlin, is already defending himself
against charges that he violated the state conflict-of-interest law. Coughlin
just replaced former speaker of the House Thomas M. Finneran, who was forced to
quit as president after pleading guilty to a felony obstruction-of-justice
charge.

Whoosh! Talk about a revolving door. In about six months, Coughlin went from a
job as one of the governor's top liaisons to the biotech industry to talking
about a job as that industry's top advocate. Then, it took Coughlin six weeks to
disclose those discussions to the state. At the same time, he was working on
major state biotech initiatives.

A former state legislator, Coughlin is well connected. He is related to Jack
Connors Jr., chairman of Partners Healthcare, the powerful umbrella organization
for Harvard teaching hospitals. Connors served as an employment reference for
Coughlin, who is his second cousin; so did Joe O'Donnell, a prominent Boston
businessman who runs The Joey Fund, a charity named after his son, who died of
cystic fibrosis. Coughlin, who also raises money for the charity, has a
5-year-old son who has the disease. That could make him a compelling advocate
for the industry.

But whether he followed the law still matters.

Coughlin first met with members of the biotech council's search committee on
June 11. He had a second meeting on June 13. But not until July 19 did he inform
his immediate boss, Secretary of Housing and Economic Affairs Daniel O'Connell,
of his discussions. On July 20, he notified Governor Deval Patrick, according to
Cyndi Roy, a spokeswoman for the governor. On July 24, he filed a formal
disclosure with the state ethics commission. He was hired Aug. 13.

The state's conflict-of-interest law requires disclosure when a state employee
participates in a matter "in which he . . . or any organization with whom he is
negotiating . . . concerning prospective employment has a financial interest."

Coughlin's lawyer, Thomas R. Kiley, told the Globe's Frank Phillips that the
June 11 meeting wasn't an interview or negotiation; it was a "meet and greet."
Kiley told me that once Coughlin became a job candidate, no matter was discussed
"in which the Massachusetts biotech council has any financial interests." Asked
about Coughlin's financial interest in landing a job that could pay up to
$500,000, Kiley said, "That's not what the statute is about." He then declared
himself too busy for further conversation and ended the telephone call.
[...]
Joan Vennochi's e-mail address is vennochi@globe.com.