WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott released the following statement after the Moffitt Cancer Center announced that several members of its leadership team resigned after connections were discovered with Communist China’s Thousand Talents Program. This investigation was the direct result of a letter Senator Scott sent this month to Florida university presidents urging them to protect national security by safeguarding U.S. research from Communist China.

Senator Rick Scott said, “I applaud Lee Moffitt and the board of directors of Florida’s H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute for their proactive leadership in taking swift and decisive action against these individuals, who had an improper and undisclosed relationship with the Communist Chinese government. According to the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee, the Thousand Talents Program ‘incentivizes individuals engaged in research and development in the United States to transmit the knowledge and research they gain here to China in exchange for salaries, research funding, lab space, and other incentives.’ We should all be very concerned about the threat of Communist China and its attempts to steal U.S. research and intellectual property. We have to remain vigilant and proactive, and I will to continue to work with universities, hospitals and businesses to make sure they are protected.”    

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