Based on the evidence gathered, I can evaluate this claim.
Reasoning:
- The claim states that Heiko von der Leyen (husband of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen) received a seat on the supervisory board of the gene therapy research center in Padua, Italy, because of Orgenesis's role as a partner in the center.
- Multiple independent sources confirm the core facts:
- An Italian subsidiary of Orgenesis joined a EU-funded gene and cell therapy project, and Heiko von der Leyen was elected to sit on the project's supervisory board; he later resigned after Italian media coverage.
- Orgenesis was among the organizations involved in the Padua-based research project, and Heiko von der Leyen was appointed to the project's supervisory board in September 2022, resigning the following month.
- Orgenesis's Italian subsidiary was a partner in this project, and the company announced he would take on the center's supervisory committee role.
- He was appointed as a member of the supervisory board of an Italian research institution on September 30, 2022, while serving as Medical Director of Orgenesis.
- The causal element ("due to Orgenesis's role as a partner") is supported: Orgenesis Inc. itself was involved in the appointment, and the EU transparency commissioner's letter references declarations by "both Orgenesis Inc. and Prof. Dr. von der Leyen" regarding his joining the board. The commissioner noted he joined only after the company had been selected to take part.
The factual core of the claim — the seat on the Padua gene therapy center's supervisory board and Orgenesis's role as a partner — is well-corroborated by multiple independent sources.
Overall validity: 90%