Tulsi Gabbard announced she will release previously unseen communications and documents regarding the origins of COVID-19 on her final day as Director of National Intelligence.
The move signals a potential escalation in the political and scientific debate over the pandemic's start. These documents may provide new evidence regarding the oversight of U.S. funding for overseas biological research.
Gabbard said that Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, directed millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars [1] toward gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. This type of research involves altering pathogens to study their effects, a practice that has faced intense scrutiny from lawmakers.
According to Gabbard, the outgoing intelligence chief will disclose records showing that Fauci worked with intelligence officials to suppress information. She said these actions were intended to hide the nature of the research, and the origins of the virus.
Gabbard said that Fauci misled Congress during testimony regarding the funding and the activities at the Wuhan lab. The release of these documents is intended to expose the alleged misuse of federal funds, and the suppression of critical data.
The announcement comes as Gabbard concludes her tenure as the nation's top intelligence official. The documents are expected to detail the coordination between health officials, and the intelligence community during the early stages of the pandemic.
“Tulsi Gabbard announced she will release previously unseen communications and documents regarding the origins of COVID-19.”
This development suggests a significant shift in the transparency of the U.S. intelligence community's findings on COVID-19. By targeting the specific role of the NIAID and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the release could trigger new congressional inquiries into the legality of gain-of-function funding and the integrity of public health leadership during the pandemic.
