Citizens for the Integrity of Science

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Citizens for the Integrity of Science is apparently a two-man deception organization operated by Steven J. Milloy and Michael Gough who was then working through both the Competitive Enterprise Institute and the Cato Institute.

Although Milloy's Junk Science Home Page does not disclose its specific funding source, the website, Citizens for the Integrity of Science [in 1999], and the debunked TASSC, share the same address at 1155 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 300 in Washington, DC. [1]

Milloy is an 'adjunct scholar' at the Cato Institute, which has published his books such as Junk Science Judo: Self Defense Against Health Scares and Scams . He is also a columnist for FoxNews.com and runs an organisation called Citizens for the Integrity of Science, (CFIS). Details about CFIS are scant but it appears to have some sort of board, of which only two members, including Milloy, are known. The other is Michael Gough of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (and Cato) who is the co-author with Milloy of Silencing Science (Cato Institute 1998). [2]

The phone number for junkscience.com is registered to "Advancement of Sound Science Coalition" (a well exposed corporate front group and a former project of the EOP Group) at 1155 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 300 in Washington, DC. This is the same phone number and address Milloy has used for the Citizens for the Integrity of Science, Junkscience.com, NoMoresScares.com, and of course, the defunct The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC). The fax number used on numerous press releases over the years is "an interoffice fax" at 1155 Connecticut Ave NW,. according to a simple internet search.

The internet site, CFIS.org (Citizens for the Integrity of Science), is registered to Steve Milloy's home address in posh Potomac, MD, with Steve Milloy listed as the administrative contact. So who is actually paying for junkscience.com? We don't know, and Milloy has repeatedly refused to disclose his patrons.

CFIS does appear to have some sort of board, though we know of only two members, including Milloy. In a May 11,1999 Freedom of Information Act filed by Citizens for the Integrity of Science posted on the Junkscience web page, Steve Milloy listed himself and Michael Gough of the Competitive Enterprise Institute as "Directors" of Citizens for the Integrity of Science, with TASSC's old 1155 Connecticut address and contact info, which is also Milloy's current business address. [3]

They may not have known who funded Milloy at this time, but it is now very clear that it was primarily the tobacco industry.

Documents & TimeLine

1998 Sep The BAT Corporate funding plan for 1999 (and following years) is with the Corporate and Regulatory Affairs (CORA) division of British American Tobacco (BAT). CORA has produced a long and detailed budget. They have allocated

  • (# 6A61.814) Support for International establishment of TASSC - £50,000
  • Citzens for the Integrity of Science £50K in 1998, £75K in 1999, £50K in 2000, and £51.8K in 2001. (See page 321324329)

https://www.industrydocumentslibrary.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/hghd0209


1998 Sep 15 Sharon Boyse, the Issues Manager at Brown & Williamson (ex BAT in the UK) has written to Steve Milloy

We provided TASSC with a grant of $ 50,000 in late 1997. On an assumption of continuous funding, we would have been due to award a grant your new organization, Citizens for the Integrity of Science, around this time in 1998 - this time for the agreed sum of $60,000.

However, due to a shortfall in this year's budget, we would prefer an alteration in timing that would (as far as my calculations tell me!) result in the same level of support but simply change billing times. We would propose to give CIS a grant of $30,000 at this time, in effect 6 months' support. Then, in April 1999, a full annual commitment of $ 60,000 would be available to you. If future support continues, grants would then be payable to you in April of subsequent years.

If you could send me some information about your new organization that

would be helpful, as I'm sure some of our government affairs people who get involved in grassroots activities at state level will be interested. [4]

There is no way anyone could pretend that this was in support of the ideology or the program of the CIS. She didn't even know what it was pretending to do.

1999 Sept 16: The Science & Regulation division of the British-American Tobacco (BAT) company had expenditure details and a budget forecast for the following year. These figures are well below the previous outlays of this division. Notable line items were:

  • WHO Project - this had a budget allocation for consultants of £149K
  • Smoking & Health - spent £ 239K, mostly on "Commissioning new reviews of science".
  • Statistician Peter N Lee was funded £45K for one project, £44K for maintaining a database, and £18K for two book projects
  • The Canadian scam artist, John Luik was being paid £18K as a final payment on his 'Plain Packaging Project', and another £30,000 for a Book on Formula 1 racing.
  • Corrupt scientist Gio B Gori and his Health Policy Center were to get £22K for one project, and another £40K for working on the GEP project and the Toxicology Forum.
  • Francis JC Roe was owed three amounts via Roe Byfiekt (??) (also a Graeme Roe)
  • Professor Ian Hindmarch's £4,000 fees were paid via '"Psychopharma
  • One of the Witorsch brothers (probably Philip) was to be paid £31K via the CEHHT.
  • Think Tank Programs -- they listed two:
  • Product Issues
  • General consultancies had been allocated £36,900
  • Paper on rights, moderation and mortality - £ 39,000
  • Weinberg Group were putting together a think tank on ingredients for BAT outlay of £ 9,000. Also budgeted for South America £4K
  • Understanding ETS had roadshows and people employed to criticise the WHO, for a budget of £ 51,700
  • Public Smoking & Health Policy
  • Marketing Freedoms (right to advertise and promote cigarettes)

[5]



Identified Links to other Deception Organs

WASHINGTON, March 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The American Council on Science and Health, Center for Global Food Issues, Citizens for the Integrity of Science, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Consumer Alert, and National Center for Public Policy Research sent the following letter to Orin Smith, President and CEO of Starbucks Corporation today...

...Steven J. Milloy, Citizens for the Integrity of Science
Elizabeth Whelan, American Council on Science and Health
Alex Avery, Center for Global Food Issues
Gregory Conko, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Fran Smith, Consumer Alert
John Carlisle, National Center for Public Policy Analysis
[6]

The Integrity in Science Database of Scientists and Organizations With Ties to Industry

The industry front group Citizens for Integrity in Science should not be confused with The Integrity in Science Database of Scientists and Organizations With Ties to Industry. The database is a project of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, CSPI, a Washington, DC, non-profit active on a variety of food safety issues. CSPI is routinely villified by industry-funded front groups such as Rick Berman's Center for Consumer Freedom.