House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., wants an investigation into why Dr. Rick Bright was pushed out from his post as head of the office involved in trying to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.
Pallone, in a letter to the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, asked for a probe into Bright’s transfer to a new role at the National Institutes of Health, The Hill is reporting.
Bright had led the Biomedical Advance Research and Development Authority since 2016. He claims he was moved out in part because he resisted efforts to widen availability of antimalarial medication touted by President Donald Trump as a potential game-changer in the pandemic.
“Removing Dr. Bright in the midst of a pandemic would raise serious concerns under any circumstances, but his allegations that political considerations influenced this decision heighten those concerns and demand full accountability," Pallone wrote in his letter.
Pallone wants the inspector general to look into who made the decision to reassign Bright. He also wants to know whether any political considerations were behind the move.
The Hill noted Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., also has called for an investigation into Bright’s removal.
Bright has hired lawyers and said he will request whistleblower status, The Hill noted.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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