Petrelis Files

February 16, 2005

David Corcoran
Science Desk
The New York Times

Dear Mr. Corcoran:

In your February 12 edition, two stories reported that New York City's Department of Health and its commissioner, Dr. Thomas Frieden, have been collaborating with the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center on testing specimens from a man suspected of being infected with a rare drug-resistant strain of HIV. (Sources: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/12/health/12detect.html and http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/12/health/12aids.html)

Neither of these stories have reported on Dr. Frieden's connection to the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, despite the ease of securing this information. If you check the center's web site, you'll see that Dr. Frieden is a member of their board of directors. (Source: http://www.adarc.org/about/officers.htm )

I believe Times readers deserve to be informed about Dr. Frieden's connection to the center. I request that an editor's note about this appear in a future edition of The New York Times.

I also suggest that Dr. Frieden's status as a member of the center's board of directors may be a conflict of interest and violation of New York City's Chapter 68 of the City Charter. (Source: http://www.nyc.gov/html/conflicts/downloads/pdf/bluebook.pdf ) To that end, I have written to the New York City Conflict of Interests Board about this matter. (See below.)

A prompt response would be appreciated.

Regards,
Michael Petrelis
San Francisco, CA