Coca-Cola Embroiled In Ethics Controversy Over Donations To Colorado Researcher

Coca-Cola’s payments to a University of Colorado nutrition expert and teacher have come under scrutiny, Fortune magazine reports. The company has acknowledged paying James Hill, president of the now-defunct anti-obesity organization Global Energy Balance Network, $550,000. Coca-Cola told the Denver Post it paid Hill the money for “honoraria, travel, education activities, and research on weight management” before the organization was created. A Colorado ethicist said Coca-Cola’s donations were a big “red flag” and possibly a violation of a state law banning corporate funding of public employees. The company also donated $1 million to GEBN as start-up funding, and $1 million to the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, which is directed by Hill. The university has since returned that donation.