Posted for Erika Check

John Reed will resume his work on the board of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine after a state commission found that a letter he wrote in 2007 “raises ethical concerns”, but does not violate state ethics laws.

In August 2007, Reed, president of the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla, California, asked CIRM staff to appeal its decision that a Burnham-affiliated scientist was ineligible for a grant. The Santa Monica-based group Consumer Watchdog asked the state Fair Political Practices Commission to investigate the move and Reed recused himself from the CIRM board that December.

On 7 January, Kourtney Vaccaro, chief of the commission’s enforcement division, sent a warning letter to Reed via his attorney. “In our view, by submitting a “letter of appeal” to CIRM staff, Dr Reed intended to influence a decision that had the potential to affect his economic interests,” Vaccaro wrote. However, because the decision had already been made, Vaccaro said, it could no longer be influenced, so the commission will close the complaint without further action.

CIRM modified its appeal process last year in the wake of the controversy.

“We are delighted that with the completion of the review by the Fair Political Practices Commission Dr John Reed will reengage in his role as an ICOC [board] member,” CIRM board chairman Robert Klein said in a statement. “As CIRM matures, we continue to review and enhance our policies and procedures to avoid potential problems in the future.”