Tulsi Gabbard has released a tranche of documents that she says expose Dr Fauci’s role in funding the research in Wuhan and influencing intelligence assessments on the origins of COVID-19.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Thursday released what she described as previously undisclosed communications and intelligence records that allegedly show Dr Anthony Fauci played a central role in shaping official narratives surrounding the origins of COVID-19 while overseeing federal funding connected to coronavirus research in Wuhan, China.
The release marks one of Gabbard’s final actions before leaving office and forms part of what the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) says was a year-long declassification review. According to the DNI, the documents contain internal communications, whistleblower testimony and intelligence records that raise questions about how the US government assessed the origins of the pandemic and whether dissenting views were sidelined during that process.
In a statement accompanying the release, Gabbard argued that the American public deserved transparency regarding decisions made during the pandemic. She alleged that senior officials manipulated intelligence assessments, suppressed alternative viewpoints and concealed information relating to gain-of-function research involving bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
What The Newly Released Documents Claim
According to the ODNI press release, the newly disclosed material suggests that Fauci, while serving as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), authorised funding for coronavirus research conducted through programmes involving the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
The documents released by the DNI further allege that Fauci maintained close relationships with intelligence officials and scientists whose views helped shape official assessments regarding the origins of COVID-19. The release claims those interactions contributed to intelligence products that favoured a natural-origin explanation for the virus while downplaying the possibility of a laboratory-related incident.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence also alleges that some intelligence analysts who challenged prevailing conclusions faced professional pressure or retaliation. According to whistleblower accounts cited by the agency, analysts advocating greater consideration of the lab-leak hypothesis were allegedly discouraged from pursuing those assessments.