A top official at the American Cancer Society has resigned due to concerns over its increasing dependence on donations from partners with dubious health records, the New York Times reports.
It adds that Otis Brawley, an executive vice president and chief medical officer of the society, stepped down after 11 years there. The Times notes that while Brawley wouldn't discuss his departure, those close to him pointed to the American Cancer Society's relationships with businesses like Herbalife International, a supplements company, as why he left.
According to the Times, the American Cancer Society has been raising less money in recent years than previously. That decline is in part due to the waning popularity of fundraising walks, which has led the society to seek funds from other arenas, including by partnering with Herbalife, the sports bar Tilted Kilt, and the seafood chain Long John Silver's. "We have been re-engineering and diversifying our revenue portfolio, and partnerships are playing a key role," Michael Reich, a society spokesperson, tells the Times.
Critics say that these partnerships give a conflicting message about health, the Times adds.