Staff Reports
House Republicans claim to have unearthed damning evidence within emails belonging to Dr. Anthony Fauci’s senior adviser, David Morens, suggesting Fauci may have been aware of the deliberate destruction of crucial government documents regarding COVID-19's origins. The private exchanges, obtained by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, have cast doubt on the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) management of the initial stages of the health crisis.
Released just before Morens was due to testify, the 155 pages of subpoenaed emails between Morens and former NIH employee Gerald Keusch disclosed discussions about shielding information from Fauci regarding a NIH-funded project at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Conversations also included strategies to avoid creating a paper trail linking Fauci to their correspondence.
New materials may implicate Fauci in aide’s emails scandal https://t.co/NkFqxyJ5Je via @dcexaminer
— Vicki Magadonian #MAGA (@NoWarningShot_) May 22, 2024
In one instance, Morens reassured Keusch about Freedom of Information Act requests, suggesting ways to communicate with Fauci covertly. However, during the hearing, Morens claimed that he and Fauci rarely discussed using personal email or phones for official communication, contradicting the email contents.
Moreover, Morens communicated with Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance, alleging that Fauci and former NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins were attempting to distance themselves from the Wuhan lab project. This disclosure has raised suspicions about NIH's involvement.
Morens defended his actions during the hearing, attributing his use of the wrong email account to a fusion of his government and personal accounts. Yet, other documents indicate his efforts to prevent specific communications from being disclosed during federal records requests. Morens had also consulted with the NIH FOIA officer on how to evade retrieving certain documents during federal records requests.
These revelations have spurred calls for further investigation. Subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup has expressed intent to explore potential criminal charges against Morens, seeking counsel from legal advisors and the Department of Justice. Senator Rand Paul has also urged the Department of Justice to launch an inquiry into Morens.
As the investigation progresses, Fauci is slated to testify before the subcommittee on June 3. These developments have ignited concerns about possible misconduct within the NIH and its management of COVID-19 origins-related information.
