Gabbard Releases Declassified Documents Alleging Fauci Orchestrated COVID-19 Origins Cover-Up
Key Insights
Former DNI Tulsi Gabbard released declassified documents accusing Dr. Anthony Fauci (search) of suppressing the COVID-19 (search) lab-leak theory and funding gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (search).
Gabbard alleged Fauci pressured the intelligence community to endorse a natural animal origin for the virus and lied under oath to Congress in 2024 about his knowledge of the research.
Whistleblowers within the intelligence community reportedly faced threats and retaliation for challenging the narrative, with one contractor allegedly fired days after coming forward.
On her final day as director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard released a series of declassified documents and communications that she says expose how Dr. Anthony Fauci (search), former NIAID (search) director and chief medical advisor to the president, funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (search) and subsequently orchestrated efforts to suppress the lab-leak theory of COVID-19 (search)'s origins.
"It's time you know the truth," Gabbard stated in a video released on X/Twitter, presenting what she described as "never-before-seen communications and documents exposing how Dr. Fauci provided millions in US taxpayer dollars to fund dangerous gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab, worked with politicized elements within the Intelligence Community to suppress the truth about his actions and hide the virus' lab-leak origins, and lied to Congress while under oath in 2024."
Allegations of Intelligence Community Manipulation
According to the documents released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Wuhan Institute of Virology (search) participated in research examining the risk of bat-to-human transmission of coronavirus. The research was reportedly conducted, in part, to develop interventions to prevent the spread of such viruses.
Gabbard alleged that Fauci and his associates pressured the intelligence community to push the narrative that COVID-19 (search) originated from a natural animal source, rather than acknowledging the possibility of an unintentional lab leak. She characterized these actions as a "deliberate attempt to cover up the truth," during which she claimed Fauci "pushed lies, disinformation, and censorship."
"Fauci was the behind-the-scenes advisor who, alongside his hand-picked so-called experts, pushed the intelligence community to endorse a natural, animal origin to hide his dangerous gain-of-function research that he funded using taxpayer dollars," Gabbard said.
Whistleblower Retaliation Claims
Gabbard's office received testimony from whistleblowers within the intelligence community who reported facing threats and retaliation for challenging the narrative put forth by Fauci. One contractor alleged they were fired days after coming forward to ODNI as a whistleblower on the matter. Other intelligence analysts reported that efforts were made to undermine the whistleblower process by attempting to remove the anonymity of those who came forward with complaints.
Congressional Testimony and Perjury Allegations
Gabbard also accused Fauci of lying under oath to Congress in 2024 by denying that he had knowledge of or participated in discussions with intelligence officials about the research conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (search). The declassified documents, according to Gabbard, contradict that testimony.
The EcoHealth Alliance (search) Connection
The funding pathway for the Wuhan research reportedly ran through EcoHealth Alliance (search), a now-defunct New York-based non-profit. EcoHealth's founder, Peter Daszak, received millions in grants from Fauci's NIAID (search), while the Department of Defense provided more than $40 million for "combating weapons of mass destruction."
A former EcoHealth employee, speaking anonymously, stated that Daszak had been "approached by the CIA in late 2015" to help access the Wuhan lab, which was believed to be a Chinese military operation. Daszak later confirmed to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer that he had been contacted by the CIA and other intelligence agencies.
Legal and Political Fallout
Senator Rand Paul has sent criminal referrals to the Department of Justice against Fauci for the alleged 2024 perjury detailed in Gabbard's release. Paul is also challenging the validity of the 11-year blanket pardon issued by former President Joe Biden for Fauci in the final minutes of his administration. Paul argues the pardon should be challenged in court both because it was signed with an autopen and because of its rare retrospective nature, stretching back to January 1, 2014.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. characterized the matter as "among the most consequential crimes in human history."
Early Warning Signs
A Harvard Medical School study published in June 2020 found that aerial images captured by private satellites of five Wuhan hospitals suggested a health crisis was underway as early as August 2019. The study documented "a steep increase in volume starting in August 2019, culminating with a peak in December 2019," the date of the first confirmed COVID-19 (search) case. Between September and October 2019, five of the six hospitals showed elevated traffic, coinciding with increased Chinese search engine queries for terms including "diarrhea" and "cough."
Gabbard, who resigned from her position citing her husband's illness, stated that her office fought for transparency against significant institutional resistance. President Trump has installed Bill Pulte as interim DNI while the confirmation process for Jay Clayton proceeds.