In February 2004, after a four-month investigation, reporter Brian Deer wrote in The Sunday Times of London that, prior to submitting his paper to The Lancet, Wakefield had received £55,000 from Legal Aid Board solicitors seeking evidence to use against vaccine manufacturers, that several of the parents quoted as saying that MMR had damaged their children were also litigants, and that Wakefield did not inform colleagues or medical authorities of the conflict of interest.
Pada bulan Februari 2004, usai investigasi selama empat bulan, wartawan Brian Deer menulis di The Sunday Times London bahwa sebelum artikel penelitian dikirim ke The Lancet, Wakefield menerima £55.000 dari pengacara Legal Aid Board yang mencari bukti untuk melawan produsen vaksin, beberapa orang tua yang dikutip mengatakan bahwa MMR membuat anaknya sakit juga merupakan penggugat, dan Wakefield tidak memberitahu rekan atau pihak berwenang di lingkup kedokteran tentang adanya konflik kepentingan.