The Times article suggests that the analysts had undisclosed financial conflicts of interest and were given special access as a reward for promoting the administration's point of view.

Mr. Ovitz had and has no reason to believe that this could constitute an undisclosed conflict of interest.

In February the commission deadlocked 2-to-2 with a fifth member, Roscoe B. Starek 3d, recusing himself because of an undisclosed financial conflict.

The majority of recent cases of alleged misconduct involving undisclosed conflicts of interest or failure of the authors to have seen scientific data involve collaborative research between scientists and biotechnology companies.

After Ignarro's ties to Herbalife were revealed, the journal issued a correction to the article, citing Ignarro's undisclosed "conflict of interest."

But he also said the undisclosed conflict had not biased the study.

Mr. Colglazier said he did not think that Dr. Phillip's undisclosed conflict had biased the study.

A 2004 investigation by Sunday Times reporter Brian Deer identified undisclosed financial conflicts of interest on Wakefield's part, and most of his co-authors then withdrew their support for the study's interpretations.

"We will not countenance undisclosed conflicts of interest or other fraudulent conduct from those recommending purchases or sales of securities - whether on the Web or elsewhere."

He is also seeking an appraisal of soft dollars, the use of commissions to pay for things like research or office space, what the committee called "one of the worst examples of undisclosed conflicts of interest."