Washington– A former senior adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci has been indicted on federal charges alleging he conspired to hide his communications related to COVID-19 research as the pandemic spread across the country, the Justice Department said Tuesday.
Dr. David Morenz, 78, is accused of using his private email account to intentionally circumvent public records laws while working at the National Institutes of Health. The Justice Department alleges he concealed or destroyed records of discussions related to COVID-19 research grants, including an attempt to revive a controversial coronavirus grant.
“These allegations represent a profound abuse of trust at a time when the American people need it most — at the height of a global pandemic,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement Tuesday. “Government officials have a solemn duty to provide truthful and proven facts and advice to serve the public interest – not to advance their personal or ideological agendas.”
Morenz faces charges of conspiracy against the United States. destroying, altering, or falsifying records in federal investigations; Hide, remove or distort records; and aiding and abetting, according to a Justice Department news release. If convicted, he could face decades in prison. Morenz’s attorney declined to comment.
The indictment reflects Republicans’ long-held belief that the federal government concealed key information about COVID-19 as the pandemic unfolded. Despite numerous investigations, Covid origins It has never been proven. Scientists are unsure whether the virus was transmitted from an animal, as many other viruses did, or whether it came from a laboratory accident. A US intelligence analysis A 2023 release said there was not enough evidence to prove either theory.
Blanche said Morenz’s alleged behavior was part of an attempt to “suppress alternative theories” about the origins of COVID-19. The Justice Department also accused Morenz of having an inappropriate relationship with a collaborator, including accepting a gift of wine and discussing COVID-19 research and potential publications in a prominent medical journal.
The indictment comes on the heels of a House Republican investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, which examined Morenz’s email communications and accused him of intentionally concealing records. In his testimony before Congress, Morenz denied trying to evade federal transparency laws by using his personal email.