The Department of Justice dropped a bombshell on Tuesday, indicting David Morens, a longtime senior adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). He’s charged with conspiracy against the United States, destruction and falsification of federal records, and concealment of records—all allegedly committed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Morens, 78, served as a senior NIAID adviser from 2006 to 2022. Prosecutors allege that he used his personal Gmail account to evade Freedom of Information Act requests, shared non-public NIH information with outside grantees, and coordinated efforts to restore funding to a company the indictment calls "Company #1." The scheme, according to the DOJ, was deliberate and documented — the conspirators "agreed in writing to intentionally hide their communications."
“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 statement. “As alleged in the indictment, Dr. Morens and his co-conspirators deliberately concealed information and falsified records in an effort to suppress alternative theories regarding the origins of COVID-19. Government officials have a solemn duty to provide honest, well-grounded facts and advice in service of the public interest—not to advance their own personal or ideological agendas.”
As a senior advisor, Morens counseled Senior NIAID Official 1 and other senior-level NIAID staff on senior-level policies, developed recommendations and solutions for issues impacting the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and wrote and edited manuscripts. Morens also provided guidance and expertise to senior staff members on epidemiological studies and issues related to infectious disease planning and management.
Additionally, Morens gathered information from grantees and others in the scientific community to establish facts about the nature of COVID-19. This enabled Morens to understand NIH and NIAID’s historical activities in coronavirus research, assist in formulating policy and procedures, and brief Senior NIAID Official 1 so he could then relay information to the President of the United States, Congress, and the public.
According to the indictment, Morens, Co-Conspirator 1, Co-Conspirator 2, and others conspired during the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud and commit several offenses against the United States after NIH terminated Co-Conspirator 1’s grant. NIH terminated the grant, Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence, based on allegations that COVID-19 emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in Wuhan, China. NIAID awarded the grant to Company #1 and Co-Conspirator 1, who made a subaward to the WIV.
“Circumventing records protocols with the intention of avoiding transparency is something that will not be tolerated by this FBI,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. “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.”
“When public officials deliberately circumvent the law to hide their communications from the public, they undermine the public’s trust and the integrity of our institutions. This was especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic when transparency was needed most,” Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, said. “Our office will continue to hold accountable those who seek to evade their legal obligations for their own gain.”
Justin Goodman of White Coat Waste called the indictment a start, not a finish. "Morens wasn't a lone wolf, and other lab leak cover-up lackeys are still in government raking in taxpayer-funded salaries," Goodman said. "Morens' indictment should be the beginning—not the end—of long-overdue lab leak accountability at NIH."
Morens faces up to five years on the conspiracy charge, up to 20 years on each records-falsification count, and up to three years on each concealment count. For years, the American public was told COVID's origins were settled, that questions were dangerous, and that the people asking them were the real problem.
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