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Felon Became Top Exec for Wikipedia

Woman with long criminal record was COO for 6+ months

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 15, 2007 6:27 AM CST

(Newser) –  Wikipedia had a convicted felon in one of its highest executive positions for over six months this year, The Register reports. Carolyn Bothwell Doran was on probation for a DUI that caused a death when she became the charitable foundation's chief operating officer in January, says the UK-based web site. She left the Wikimedia Foundation in July this year after another DUI arrest.

Doran's record also included convictions for passing bad checks, theft, petty larceny, additional DUIs, and unlawfully wounding her boyfriend with a gun shot to the chest.  Her duties as COO included fiscal record-keeping and approving expenses. The non-profit foundation, whose assets top a million dollars, says it was unaware of Doran's lawbreaking past. It's still working on an audit for the first half of this year.

Internet entrepreneur Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, attends the iBreakfast forum on Tuesday, May 8, 2007 in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Internet entrepreneur Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, attends the iBreakfast forum on Tuesday, May 8, 2007 in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)   (Associated Press)
Wikipedia's COO for the first half of this year had convictions including petty larceny and passing bad checks.
Wikipedia's COO for the first half of this year had convictions including petty larceny and passing bad checks.   (Flickr)
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales speaks at an education conference. The Wikimedia Foundation, funded largely by charitable donations, had a convicted felon as its chief operating officer for over six months this year.
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales speaks at an education conference. The Wikimedia Foundation, funded largely by charitable donations, had a convicted felon as its chief operating officer for over six months...   (Getty Images)
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