The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic will send a subpoena Wednesday to compel Dr. Anthony Fauci’s senior advisor at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. David Morens, to testify in a public hearing on May 22, the Daily Caller has first learned.
Republican Ohio Rep. Brad Wenstrup, the chairman of the select subcommittee, will send the subpoena to Morens after the subcommittee recently uncovered evidence that suggests Morens intentionally obstructed their investigations into the origins of COVID-19 to protect Fauci.
In June 2023, Morens attempted to avoid potential Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests by using his personal email instead of his work email, a letter from Wenstrup reads. Lawmakers have also questioned if he destroyed federal records, according to the letter.
After receiving a letter from the Select Subcommittee detailing Morens’ potential federal records violation, the NIH placed him on administrative leave.
In October 2023, Wenstrup announced a subpoena for NIH records related to Morens’ potential federal records violation. NIH conducted an internal investigation into Morens’ actions but did not share the findings with the American people or Congress.
In November 2023, EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak appeared for a transcribed interview, where he called Morens a “mentor.”
In December 2023, Morens was scheduled to appear for a transcribed interview. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ended up prohibiting Morens from answering any questions about the origins of COVID-19. (RELATED: Daily Caller’s ‘SICK’ Reveals Big Medicine’s Reach Is Wider Than You Can Ever Imagine)
In January 2024, Morens appeared for a transcribed interview after Wenstrup vowed to get access to Morens’ personal email account.
In April 2024, Wenstrup announced the first subpoena to Morens that caused him to produce documents from his personal email related to the origins of COVID-19.
In the transcribed January interview, Morens described Daszak as his “best-friend.” In an April 2024 email obtained by the subcommittee, Daszak explains that with some detail the delay tactics Morens’ team should deploy to avoid cooperating with Congressional investigators. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: House, Senate Republicans Demand Agencies Terminate Grant Funding To EcoHealth)
In the email Daszak says: “Each day of delay helps. They’re trying to book David in for a public hearing between mine (May 1st) and Fauci’s (June 3rd). David’s lawyers are trying to negotiate and delay his til after Tony.” (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: House Oversight Republicans Demand Answers From Fauci, Collins Over Grant To Wuhan Lab)
The Select Subcommittee will now be sending a subpoena to Morens due to his past actions and the email in question.
“The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic (Select Subcommittee) has documents in its possession suggesting that you and your counsel are intentionally employing dilatory tactics in order to unreasonably stall your testimony until after Dr. Anthony Fauci’s hearing on June 3, 2024. This appears to be a poorly veiled attempt to protect Dr. Fauci, insulate him from the actions the Select Subcommittee is investigating, and obstruct the Select Subcommittee’s investigation. Accordingly, your actions have left us no choice but to compel your testimony,” the letter states. (RELATED: Fauci’s Top Adviser Admits He’s Done Zero Research On Possible Lab-Leak Despite Claiming It Definitely Didn’t Happen)
READ THE SUBPOENA AND COVER LETTER HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
“The Select Subcommittee requires further testimony on these new documents and the reason you failed to previously produce them. The Select Subcommittee had hoped to engage in good faith negotiations to accommodate your schedule and avoid compulsory process,” Wenstrup added. “However, your unwillingness to seriously cooperate with our requests, negotiate a reasonable date, and produce all the responsive documents in your possession has unreasonably delayed our investigation. Your apparently improper attempts to hinder the Select Subcommittee’s investigation are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”(RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Paul Demands Information On NIH Employee Using Personal Email To Allegedly Conceal COVID-19 Origins)
The Caller contacted the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases about the subpoena, to which they did not immediately respond.