Dr. Anthony Fauci’s former senior adviser was federally indicted on charges of allegedly taking part in a conspiracy to evade federal records requests regarding government-funded COVID-19 research.
David Morens, a former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases official who advised Fauci in the agency’s Office of the Director from 2006 to 2022, is facing charges of conspiracy against the United States; destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations; concealment, removal, or mutilation of records; and aiding and abetting.
According to the April 16 indictment, made public on Tuesday, Morens and at least two co-conspirators deliberately concealed information and falsified records to suppress alternative theories about the origins of the coronavirus.
The allegations stem from the suspension of a controversial government grant to EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit U.S. research organization suspected of contributing to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic through risky virus studies, and its subsequent reinstatement.
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The $3.1 million grant, “Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence,” included a $600,000 subaward to the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
In 2020, the grant was terminated based on suspicions that a lab leak at WIV caused the COVID-19 outbreak. But the grant was restored three years later.
Authorities allege that Morens and another co-conspirator worked to help “Co-Conspirator 1,” who is potentially EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak, according to identifying details in the indictment, reinstate the grant and counter the narrative that COVID-19 leaked from a lab.
In anticipation that their communications would be subject to Freedom of Information Act requests, they all allegedly agreed in writing to intentionally hide their collusion from public view by corresponding over Morens’s personal Gmail, rather than his NIH email account.
The three allegedly exchanged non-public NIH information — records that should be stored on government systems — to influence NIH to fund EcoHealth Alliance, identified only as “Company #1” in the indictment.
According to the Justice Department, they also workshopped drafts of letters addressed to NIH leadership and “back-channeled” information to “Senior NIAID Official 1.” The unnamed NIAID official, believed to be Fauci when he was the director of NIAID, received direct assistance from Morens with briefing the president of the United States, Congress, and the public on health threats.
Fauci’s preemptive pardon from former President Joe Biden prevents Fauci from being jointly indicted with Morens for any wrongdoing, commented molecular biologist Richard Ebright, a vocal critic of Fauci.
Additionally, the charging documents allege that the scheme’s participants conspired to exchange illegal gratuities. Morens was allegedly gifted wine for his “behind-the-scenes shenanigans” and had proposed an official act to “deserve” the gift, such as scientific commentary in a prominent medical journal that asserted that COVID-19 had natural origins.
The indictment says that “Co-Conspirator 1” suggested he would provide Morens with additional offerings, including meals at Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris, New York, and Washington, D.C.
As senior adviser, Morens counseled top NIAID officials, including Fauci, on formulating public health policies and provided guidance on epidemiological studies and the management of infectious diseases. Morens also gathered information from grantees and other scholars in the scientific community to establish facts about the nature of COVID-19.
At the time, Morens was placed on administrative leave after it became public that he corresponded with Daszak, his “best friend,” and other researchers through private channels about the bat grant’s 2020 termination.
“These allegations represent a profound abuse of trust at a time when the American people needed it most — during the height of a global pandemic,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a press release announcing the indictment against Morens.
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“Circumventing records protocols with the intention of avoiding transparency is something that will not be tolerated by this FBI,” added FBI Director Kash Patel. “Not only did Morens allegedly engage in the illegal obfuscation of his communications, but he received kickbacks for doing so. If you have engaged in activity conspiring against the United States, we will not stop until you face justice.”
If convicted, Morens faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge; 20 years maximum behind bars for each count of destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations; and a three-year prison sentence per count of concealment, removal, or mutilation of records.