New York couple has donated millions to anti-vaccine groups

Mackenzie Bean (Twitter) -

A wealthy couple in New York City has donated more than $3 million to groups that question the safety and efficacy of vaccines, reports The Washington Post.

The couple, Bernard and Lisa Selz, first supported the anti-vaccine movement in 2012 when their private foundation donated $200,000 to a legal fund for Dr. Andrew Wakefield. Dr. Wakefield is a major figure in the anti-vaccine movement who published a now retracted paper about an alleged link between autism and vaccines in 1998.

The Selz Foundation has also provided about 75 percent of the funding for the Informed Consent Action Network. ICAN's mission is to promote drug and vaccine safety and protect parents' ability to make vaccine decisions for their children. The group is known for holding live rallies and forums that "stoke fears about immunizations," according to the Post.

ICAN recorded $1.4 million in revenue in 2017, about $1 million of which came from the Selz Foundation, according to tax filings cited by the Post.

Mr. Selz, a hedge fund manager, and Ms. Selz, president of ICAN, did not respond to the Post's request for comment.

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