Results for: COVID-19 Origins

Dr. David Morens, a former top adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci, appeared before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability to address allegations of email destruction and other controversial communications related to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Morens apologized for the language used in the emails but denied deleting any records. The emails, which were released to lawmakers, show Morens interacting with Dr. Peter Daszak of EcoHealth Alliance, a non-governmental organization that funded coronavirus research in Wuhan, China.

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is urging the Justice Department to investigate allegations of improper concealment and destruction of documents related to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The allegations involve Dr. David Morens, a top adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is accused of hiding and erasing records pertaining to the virus’s origins. Emails obtained by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic suggest that Morens may have violated federal law by destroying records to avoid leaks through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The investigation also revealed that Morens used personal email accounts to evade FOIA requests and discussed the origins of COVID-19 with a non-governmental organization funded to conduct coronavirus research in Wuhan, China. Senior NIH officials confirmed that Morens’ actions breached NIH policy. Senator Paul’s letter demands a thorough investigation and accountability for any wrongdoing.

Lawmakers allege that EcoHealth Alliance, a US-based non-profit organization dedicated to pandemic prevention, used taxpayer dollars to fund dangerous gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China. EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak is expected to publicly testify before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic to address these allegations. The hearing is expected to focus on discrepancies in Daszak’s previous closed-door testimony and EcoHealth’s relationship with the WIV. The research in question involved studying bat coronaviruses and their potential transmission to humans. Both the U.S. Energy Department and the FBI have suggested the possibility of a lab leak as the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chinese officials have hindered efforts to trace the source of the COVID-19 virus, resulting in a lack of information and unanswered questions. This has occurred despite stated support for open scientific inquiry. The Chinese government has closed labs, barred foreign scientists, and restricted Chinese researchers from leaving the country in an attempt to avoid blame. As a result, the world remains vulnerable to another outbreak, and pandemic treaty talks coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) are being undermined.