Miami Herald - March 3, 2005
Robert L. Steinback, rsteinback@herald.com

Marianna K. Baum, a prominent Florida International University AIDS researcher and former assistant dean of the University of Miami medical school, appeared in Miami circuit court Wednesday to face a charge that she stole at least $17,200 in federal AIDS grant money while at UM.

Baum's attorney, Ben Kuehne, blasted the charge as a vendetta orchestrated by embittered UM administrators to destroy the reputation of a tenured professor who took her research -- and her research grants -- to FIU after having spent 20 years at UM.

"The University of Miami has acted to try to ruin [Baum] personally and professionally for reasons that can best be described as professional jealousy of the worst sort," Kuehne said Wednesday.

Baum appeared before Circuit Judge Diane Ward to face one count of racketeering. She was freed on $30,000 bond -- agreed upon by Kuehne and Miami-Dade Assistant State Attorney John Perikles -- and then left the city on business, Kuehne said. She was unavailable for comment late Wednesday.

UM spokeswoman Margot Winick declined to address the case, citing university policy not to comment on personnel or pending criminal matters.

STATE'S ALLEGATIONS

The state is alleging that on 16 occasions between September 1996 and May 2000, Baum submitted fraudulent expense reports charged against the federal AIDS research grants under which she worked.

In a supporting document, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Special Agent Bernardo Rodriguez alleges Baum conspired with Cleveland travel agent Michael Lewin to issue phony airline tickets for grant-related travel at a price higher than her actual flight costs, then sought reimbursement. Rodriguez also alleges Baum was fraudulently reimbursed for three trips to Salt Lake City to work on grant proposals.

Kuehne emphatically denied the allegations. "There is no truth to any suggestion that there were illegal deals with a travel agent," he said. "It just didn't happen."

Kuehne said Baum didn't know she was under investigation.

"We had no opportunity or notice to give them Dr. Baum's side of the story," Kuehne said.

Baum has achieved recognition for her research on the nutritional deficiencies of AIDS patients. In 1997, while with UM, she published a breakthrough study in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency showing that AIDS patients with depressed levels of the mineral selenium were 20 times more likely to die of an AIDS-related illness than those with normal selenium levels. Her research also showed that AIDS survival rates fell with deficient levels of vitamins A and B-12 and the mineral zinc, though not as significantly as with selenium deficiencies.

'BITTER BATTLE'

She left UM for FIU's College of Health, Dietetics and Nutrition in 2000, Kuehne said. "There was a bitter internal battle with Dr. Baum over control of her grants," Kuehne said.

Regardless how the case is resolved, Kuehne said the mere filing of racketeering charges could damage Baum's reputation and ability to win grants. He hinted that Baum may take legal action of her own against the university.

"She will prevail, and intends to receive more than an apology from those who are making these claims," he said.

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