Representative Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, is seeking clarification from David Morens, a senior adviser to Dr. Fauci, regarding remarks made about the lab leak theory of the COVID-19 virus’s origins. According to Just the News, Morens implied that Dr. Fauci was attempting to conceal and undermine the lab leak theory. In light of this, Chairman Wenstrup has requested Morens to provide any relevant documents and communications from his personal email and cellphone. It is alleged that Morens deliberately used non-government channels to avoid public disclosure of certain information as a senior adviser to the former director.
The committee aims to uncover evidence of a cover-up campaign and has identified Morens’s emails as potentially containing relevant information. They have requested a transcribed interview with Morens to take place by August 2nd. The committee has already obtained a collection of emails from Morens, some of which were published by the Intercept. These emails contain concerning statements such as “As you know, I try to always communicate on gmail because my NIH email is FOIA’D constantly” and “I will delete anything I don’t want to see in the New York Times”.
According to an email exchange with a Bloomberg journalist, Morens acknowledges that he had not been authorized to discuss the origins of COVID-19 on the record for several months. However, he expresses surprise that his boss, Dr. Fauci, has now requested him to speak to the press on record about the origins, while still wanting to distance himself from the topic. Morens states, “[still] Tony doesn’t want his fingerprints on origin stories.”
Previously revealed information suggests that Dr. Fauci and NIH Director Francis Collins were involved in a clandestine manner in a 2020 paper that dismissed the lab leak theory as a viable possibility. Subsequently, during a press conference, Fauci cited this same paper to dismiss the lab leak theory.
In a 2021 email exchange, Morens suggested that publications supporting the lab leak theory should be sued for slander. Chairman Wenstrup criticized Morens for appearing to encourage legal action against the press for reporting that deviates from the predetermined narrative of public health bureaucrats, deeming it unacceptable. Wenstrup raised serious concerns about Morens’s impartiality while serving as Fauci’s assistant and stated that the subcommittee would investigate whether any funding decisions were influenced by personal motives or biases towards scientists.
Chairman Wenstrup summarized his concerns about the conduct of Morens and others, expressing a desire to understand the underlying motives behind the actions of these scientists during their appearances on Fox News.
