Gabbard Releases Documents Alleging Fauci Manipulated COVID Intelligence, Lied to Congress
- Lynn Matthews
- 19 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Declassified communications point to Wuhan lab funding, suppressed dissent — though a Biden-era pardon shields Fauci from prosecution
WecuMedia Staff
WASHINGTON — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Thursday released a tranche of declassified documents alleging that Dr. Anthony Fauci funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, pressured U.S. intelligence agencies to dismiss the lab-leak theory, and later misled Congress about his contacts with intelligence officials.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said the materials are the product of a yearlong declassification review ordered under President Donald Trump’s transparency mandate. According to ODNI, the records show Fauci — who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for nearly four decades — directed millions of taxpayer dollars toward bat coronavirus research at the Wuhan lab, research the agency says is “now widely viewed as the source of the unintentional lab leak that sparked the pandemic.”
“After years of lies, censorship, and cover ups, the American people deserve transparency, truth, and accountability,” Gabbard said in a statement accompanying the release. She accused “politicized self-serving leaders like Dr. Fauci” of covering up “their own wrongdoing and abuses of power” and manipulating intelligence assessments.
Fauci - Three Roles, One Narrative
ODNI’s release describes Fauci as having occupied three overlapping positions that insulated him from scrutiny: the funder of the disputed research, a behind-the-scenes adviser who steered intelligence officials toward hand-picked scientists favoring a natural-origin theory, and the public face who promoted that theory while dismissing the lab-leak hypothesis.
The agency said a review of hundreds of internal emails found the intelligence community “almost always” incorporated Fauci’s recommendations, and that senior analysts described him not as a policymaker with a stake in the outcome but as an “unbiased guide” to legitimate coronavirus expertise.
Congressional Testimony in Question
The records released Thursday are also positioned as direct evidence against Fauci’s sworn 2024 testimony to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, where he was repeatedly asked whether he had discussed viral research with intelligence agencies, including the FBI and CIA. Fauci testified he was not aware of any such contacts.
Outside reporting on the declassified materials notes that they include a May 2020 assessment from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which reportedly concluded conditions existed in Wuhan for the accidental release of a lab-modified coronavirus and gave equal analytical weight to the lab-leak and natural-origin theories — a finding ODNI says was sidelined in favor of the public narrative Fauci endorsed. The origin of COVID-19 remains formally disputed among U.S. intelligence agencies, with some assessments still favoring natural transmission.
Whistleblower Retaliation Alleged
Gabbard’s office said the declassification process also surfaced testimony from multiple intelligence community whistleblowers who reported retaliation after challenging the official line on the virus’s origins. ODNI cited examples including a contractor terminated days after coming forward, analysts allegedly told that promotions hinged on falling in line, and complaint procedures the agency says were stripped of anonymity protections. Gabbard said those accounts have been referred to the Intelligence Community Inspector General for review.
No Path to Prosecution
Whatever the documents show, Fauci cannot be criminally charged over COVID-related conduct. Hours before leaving office in January 2025, President Joe Biden issued Fauci a preemptive pardon, along with several other officials Biden said were likely targets of the incoming administration. The pardon, which Fauci accepted, covers federal offenses connected to his government service, including the pandemic response — meaning Thursday’s disclosures, however damaging politically, cannot translate into federal charges.
Fauci has not publicly responded to the documents released Thursday.
A Departure Overshadowed
The release comes as Gabbard prepares to leave the administration. She announced her resignation in May, citing her husband Abraham’s diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer; her departure is set to take effect June 30. It follows a separate ODNI declassification effort earlier this month disclosing federal funding for more than 120 biological research labs in over 30 countries, including dozens in Ukraine.
Sources
ODNI Press Release No. 11-26: “Fauci Funded Wuhan Lab Research That Sparked COVID”
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