The foundation created to support the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, which is under criminal investigation, will close its doors by June, the Austin American-Statesman reports.

Formerly known as the CPRIT Foundation, the Texas Cancer Coalition was asked to surrender its assets to the state following testimony from executive director Jennifer Stevens to the effect that, after paying her consulting firm, lawyers, and other commitments, the foundation's $613,513 in cash on hand would be reduced to $285,457. In response, court officials argued that the foundation should instead be dissolved by the state attorney general's office and placed in receivership. By allowing the foundation to continue as "an entity without funds," board members will be protected from any claims in the future.

Created to cover the "hefty" salaries of the institute's top staff, the foundation came under fire after lawmakers began investigating the institute's mishandling of $56 million in grant awards, the American-Statesman reports. It soon became clear that much of the money raised by the foundation came from a number of undisclosed recipients, leading to questions about whether the gifts were used to influence the awarding of research grants by the institute. For its part, the legislature is split over the question of whether it is better for taxpayers to fund the large salaries typically paid by cancer research institutions or to continue to supplement those salaries with private donations.