Former NIAID adviser pleads guilty in COVID-19 records scheme
Summary
David Morens, a former senior adviser at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States by hiding federal records related to COVID-19. Morens and others used his personal email to avoid public records laws and received illegal gifts in connection with the scheme.Key Facts
- David Morens served as a senior adviser at NIAID from 2006 to 2022.
- He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit offenses and to defraud the U.S., facing up to five years in prison.
- Morens worked with two co-conspirators, including Peter Daszak, president of the EcoHealth Alliance.
- The group hid emails about COVID-19 origins and a terminated coronavirus grant by using Morens’ personal Gmail instead of official NIH email.
- The EcoHealth Alliance had received a grant related to bat coronaviruses, which was terminated in 2020 amid lab-leak allegations.
- Morens and co-conspirator 1 exchanged illegal gifts, including two bottles of wine and offers of meals at expensive restaurants.
- Emails and actions were investigated by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in 2024.
- Former NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci denied involvement and said Morens was not his adviser on major policy issues.
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