A Different Kind of Conflict of Interest Question

Members of Congress have been drawing attention to conflicts of interest between biomedical researchers whose research is useful to companies that pay them to consult. Jonathan Gruber, a health economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is facing a different kind of allegation, The Boston Globe reported. He has been speaking with reporters about the health care legislation before Congress without disclosing that he is a paid adviser to the Obama administration on the legislation. He told the Globe that he didn't think his ties were an issue and that he disclosed them whenever asked.