Top Fauci Adviser Never Considered Lab Leak Theory

Dr. David Morens, a top adviser to former National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, told Congress he never considered the lab leak theory for the COVID-19 virus.

Morens appeared before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Thursday and testified that he never considered the scientific evidence that suggested the coronavirus could have leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China, according to a release from panel Chair Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio.

Among the key takeaways from Morens' six-hour interview was the revelation that "he has not explored any of the scientific evidence behind a potential lab leak or an engineered virus," the release said.

During his testimony, Morens reiterated his belief that COVID-19 came from an animal virus that was transmitted to humans, despite Fauci's concession during his interview that the lab-leak hypothesis is not a conspiracy theory.

"[Fauci] testified that the lab leak hypothesis — which was often suppressed — was, in fact, not a conspiracy theory," Wenstrup said in a statement. "Further, the social distancing recommendations forced on Americans 'sort of just appeared' and were likely not based on scientific data."

Morens on Thursday also described EcoHealth Alliance President Dr. Peter Daszak as a close friend. EcoHealth Alliance — an American nonprofit whose stated mission is to prevent pandemics — used taxpayer dollars, through grants, to fund "gain of function" research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Wuhan, China, was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic and the FBI and Department of Energy both later concluded that the virus most likely originated in a lab.

After the subcommittee released damning private emails last year, Morens was removed from his position at the National Institutes of Health and placed on administrative leave. In the emails, Morens said, "I always try to communicate over Gmail because my NIH email is FOIA'd constantly," and, "I will delete anything I don't want to see in The New York Times."

During his interview, he denied deleting any emails related to COVID-19 origins or forwarding any federal records to his Gmail account to avoid Freedom of Information Act scrutiny.

The panel said it has "serious questions about the legitimacy" of Morens' claims and Wenstrup plans to gain access to Morens' personal email account to confirm his statement.

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