A scandal at the National Institutes of Health has come to a head in recent weeks as new evidence has suggested that several top officials may have had a hand in thwarting investigations into the origins of COVID-19, drawing condemnation from Republicans and Democrats.
Although the inquiry has not produced any smoking gun regarding the origins of the virus, it has uncovered evidence of key players boasting about their ability to hide smoking guns from oversight. Subpoenaed emails have revealed a number of NIH officials and key players intentionally avoiding Freedom of Information Act requests by using misspelled keywords in searches, deleting government records, and using private email addresses for business.
The recent developments follow a yearlong investigation into David Morens, the senior adviser to former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, who also was a key figure in the government response to the pandemic and whose actions have been scrutinized by Republicans.
Emails uncovered by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic show Morens exclusively used his personal Gmail account to communicate with Peter Daszak, president of the nonprofit virus research firm EcoHealth Alliance, about COVID-19 origins and government grants.
The affair could have serious implications for the credibility of Fauci, who is slated to testify before the select subcommittee next week.