Former Health Adviser Admits Concealing COVID-19 Research Records
A former senior adviser to US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci has pleaded guilty to a federal charge linked to efforts to conceal government records concerning research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr David Morens entered the guilty plea on Tuesday to conspiracy to defraud the US government. The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 12 by US District Judge Paula Xinis in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Prosecutors accused Morens of using a personal email account while working at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to circumvent federal records requirements. The investigation centres on communications relating to COVID-19 research grants, including discussions surrounding an attempt to revive a controversial coronavirus research programme.
The case emerged from a congressional investigation into the origins of COVID-19, which examined Morens’ communications and alleged that he deliberately avoided government record-keeping requirements. Morens had previously denied trying to evade federal transparency laws. Fauci, who was not charged in the case, has separately faced congressional scrutiny over his handling of the pandemic and recently declined a voluntary appearance before a Senate committee.
