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The background of departed Wikimedia Foundation employee Carolyn Doran became the focus of controversy after a story describing her criminal record, as The Register continues its efforts to expose sordid affairs in the internal workings of Wikipedia. While the story was constructed to hint at a connection to the Foundation's audit currently underway, Wikimedia officers downplayed the notion that the news would have any relevance there.
A member of the Wikimedia staff in the St. Petersburg office who did not interact directly with most of the community, Doran left in July with little fanfare. The Board of Trustees subsequently indicated that she had resigned and entered into a confidentiality agreement with the organization (such agreements serve to guard against former employees and employers disparaging each other). As a result, Wikimedia officials generally declined to elaborate on the precise circumstances that led to her termination of employment.