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Former Fauci adviser pleads guilty in US to conspiring to conceal COVID-19 records

Former Fauci adviser pleads guilty in US to conspiring to conceal COVID-19 records

By Nate Raymond Aug 18 (Reuters) - A former adviser to infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiring to evade public records laws and conceal government documents related to grant research funding and the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Former NIAID Adviser David Morens Pleads Guilty in COVID-19 Records Scheme

Former NIAID Adviser David Morens Pleads Guilty in COVID-19 Records Scheme

David Morens, a former senior adviser at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit offenses and to defraud the United States. This charge stems from a scheme to conceal federal records during the COVID-19 pandemic. Morens, 78, faces up to five years in prison under a deal reached with federal prosecutors in Maryland. He was indicted in April 2026 for his role in shielding federal records related to the pandemic from public view. According to the guilty plea, Morens and two co-conspirators used his personal Gmail account, rather than his official NIH account, to exchange emails about COVID-19, its origins, and a terminated coronavirus grant. This was done to hide federal records and evade public records laws. The emails also contained nonpublic information from the NIH and "back-channel" communications to an unidentified senior NIAID official, believed to be Anthony Fauci, the institute's former director. Morens also admitted t...
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Former Fauci Adviser David Morens Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy in COVID-19 Records Concealment

Former Fauci Adviser David Morens Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy in COVID-19 Records Concealment

David Morens, a former senior adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge. The charge stems from a scheme to conceal government records related to coronavirus research grants from investigators probing the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic. Morens admitted to conspiring with unnamed co-conspirators between April 2020 and June 2023 to obstruct the lawful functions of public health agencies in complying with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Federal Records Act (FRA). This included destroying and concealing records concerning the termination and restoration of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant for research on bat coronaviruses. Morens used his personal Gmail account to conduct government business, specifically to hide communications with co-conspirators from FOIA requests and public scrutiny. He also admitted to receiving illegal gratuities, such as wine, from one of the alleged co-conspir...
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Fauci's Former Senior Advisor Pleads Guilty to Evading Open Records Requests Related to Coronavirus Research

Fauci's Former Senior Advisor Pleads Guilty to Evading Open Records Requests Related to Coronavirus Research

Dr. David Morens, a former senior advisor to Dr. Anthony Fauci, has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge related to evading open records requests concerning coronavirus research grants. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Morens conspired to defraud the United States by intentionally hiding communications from public view during the COVID-19 outbreak. This scheme involved using his personal Gmail account instead of his official NIH email, anticipating that his communications would be subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Morens served as a senior advisor to Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), from 2006 to 2022. The plea comes after the National Institutes of Health (NIH) terminated a grant, "Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence," due to allegations that the COVID-19 virus originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). The NIAID had awarded this grant to a company, which then made a subaward to t...
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Former Fauci Adviser David Morens Pleads Guilty to Concealing Covid-19 Records

Former Fauci Adviser David Morens Pleads Guilty to Concealing Covid-19 Records

David Morens, a former senior official at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and adviser to Anthony Fauci during the pandemic, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to evade public records laws. Morens admitted to concealing government documents related to grant research funding and the Covid-19 pandemic. Prosecutors stated that Morens was involved in a scheme to thwart public records requests received by the agency starting in April 2020, specifically concerning Covid-19 research grants. He faces a potential sentence of up to five years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for November 12. Morens' lawyer stated that he has taken responsibility for his actions.
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Former Fauci Adviser Pleads Guilty to Concealing COVID-19 Research Records

Former Fauci Adviser Pleads Guilty to Concealing COVID-19 Research Records

Dr. David Morens, a former senior adviser to infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government by plotting to conceal federal records related to research on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Morens entered his plea in Greenbelt, Maryland, and is scheduled for sentencing on November 12 by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis. The felony charge carries a maximum prison sentence of five years. According to the Justice Department, Morens used his private email account to intentionally circumvent public records laws while employed at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). He is accused of concealing or destroying records of discussions pertinent to COVID-19 research grants, including efforts to revive a controversial coronavirus grant. This indictment follows an investigation by House Republicans into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, which scrutinized Morens’ email communications and alleged intentional concealment of rec...
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Former Fauci Adviser David Morens Pleads Guilty to Concealing COVID Research Records

Former Fauci Adviser David Morens Pleads Guilty to Concealing COVID Research Records

Dr. David Morens, a former senior adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to conceal federal records related to research into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Morens used his personal email account to deliberately bypass public records laws while working at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He is accused of concealing or destroying records concerning discussions about grants for COVID-19 research, including an attempt to reinstate a controversial grant. The indictment against Morens stemmed from a Republican investigation in the U.S. House of Representatives into the pandemic's origins, where lawmakers reviewed his correspondence and alleged intentional concealment of documents. Morens had previously denied using private email to evade federal transparency laws during his congressional testimony. His sentencing is scheduled for November 12, and he faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison.
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Former Fauci Senior Adviser Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Conspiracy Charges

Former Fauci Senior Adviser Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Conspiracy Charges

Dr. David Morens, a former senior adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit offenses and to defraud the United States. The charges stem from his alleged efforts to conceal evidence related to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and to avoid Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Morens, 78, was indicted in April after congressional investigations in 2023 revealed he used a personal Gmail account for official business to circumvent FOIA. He reportedly instructed colleagues to use his personal email and stated he would 'delete anything [he did not] want to see in the New York Times.' The investigation also uncovered a close personal friendship between Morens and Dr. Peter Daszak, head of EcoHealth Alliance, a firm that received government funding for research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Morens and co-conspirators were charged with concealing records concerning a $3.1 million grant, which included a $600,000 subaward to the Wuhan lab, and working to re...
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Republican Senators Release Text Messages Alleging Fauci's Inconsistent COVID Vaccine Stance for Pregnant Women

Republican Senators Release Text Messages Alleging Fauci's Inconsistent COVID Vaccine Stance for Pregnant Women

Republican Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin have released pandemic-era text messages from Dr. Anthony Fauci, former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). These texts, exchanged in January 2021 with then-Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, concern the safety of COVID vaccines for pregnant women. In one message, Fauci privately noted that the significant cytokine storm and fever after the second dose could theoretically be associated with miscarriage in the first trimester. Days later, he publicly stated during a discussion with Howard Bauchner, editor-in-chief of The Journal of the American Medical Association, that the CDC found “no red flags” in a COVID vaccine study involving 10,000 pregnant women. This apparent discrepancy between his private concerns and public assurances has drawn criticism, with some suggesting it indicates officials were not fully transparent with the public regarding vaccine uncertainties.
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Fauci's Private Vaccine Concerns Contradict Public Statements, Text Messages Reveal

Fauci's Private Vaccine Concerns Contradict Public Statements, Text Messages Reveal

Republican Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) have released text messages from Dr. Anthony Fauci, former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which reveal private concerns about COVID-19 vaccine safety that appear to contradict his public statements. In January 2021, Fauci exchanged texts with then-Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky regarding the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women. Fauci noted that the 'cytokines storm and fever after the 2nd dose' could theoretically be associated with miscarriage in the first trimester. However, in a subsequent public discussion with Howard Bauchner, editor-in-chief of The Journal of the American Medical Association, Fauci stated that the CDC found 'no red flags' in a study involving 10,000 pregnant women. This discrepancy between private hypotheses and public assurances has drawn criticism and raised questions about the transparency of public health officials during the pande...
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Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration's Attempt to Halt FBI Headquarters Move to Greenbelt

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration's Attempt to Halt FBI Headquarters Move to Greenbelt

A federal judge in Maryland has ruled that the Trump administration cannot reverse its decision to move the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) headquarters to Greenbelt, Maryland. The ruling permanently blocks the administration's plan from July 2025 to relocate the law enforcement agency to offices at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington D.C. The original plan, approved by the General Services Administration (GSA), was to move the FBI Headquarters from the aging J. Edgar Hoover Building to a new location in Greenbelt. However, President Trump had stated in early 2025 that he would cancel the Greenbelt project, leading the GSA to select the Ronald Reagan Building instead. The judge's decision sided with Prince George's County and Maryland officials, who argued that canceling the Greenbelt project would deprive them of long-term economic benefits. The court found that President Trump needed congressional approval to alter the plan and reallocate funds intended for the Maryland project.
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COVID truth Fauci wouldn’t say in public is in his diary | Opinion

COVID truth Fauci wouldn’t say in public is in his diary | Opinion

For two long pandemic years, Dr. Anthony Fauci’s white coat and fatherly tone either soothed or assaulted the nation’s senses.