Audit Critical of KS Bioscience Authority Leader

Tue, January 24, 2012

KMUW / Associated Press / Briana O’Higgins

Investigators from BKD Forensics and Valuations Services released their findings Monday of the dealings by former KBA president Tom Thornton.

The investigators said Thornton misled the agency’s board about a trip he took for a job interview with the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio on the pretext of talking about the KBA business model.

Thornton resigned under pressure to take a job with the clinic in April 2011, amid growing scrutiny of the KBA and his activities by legislators and Gov. Sam Brownback.

After a meeting last March with Thornton, Gov Sam Brownback’s top advisers decided to conduct an audit to resolve any questions. According to that audit Thornton went home with his KBA laptop that evening, composed a resignation letter and began deleting files.

In a statement issued yesterday Gov. Brownback said the facts brought forth by the audit were deeply troubling and that it was not representative of how business is done in Kansas.

The authority was created in 2004 to invest in growing bioscience companies.