Whistleblower says Fauci orchestrated cover-up of COVID-19 lab leak evidence

A senior CIA officer has testified under subpoena that Dr. Anthony Fauci played an intentional role in suppressing evidence suggesting COVID-19 originated from a laboratory leak, intensifying ongoing political and legal battles over the pandemic’s origins.

James E. Erdman III, described as a senior CIA operations officer, told lawmakers during a hearing convened by Sen. Rand Paul that intelligence agencies had evidence pointing toward a lab leak prior to the release of the Biden administration’s August 2021 report, which concluded the origins of the virus were inconclusive.

According to Erdman, the CIA was still considering formally adopting the lab-leak hypothesis as late as August 12, 2021. However, by August 17, the agency had shifted to an officially inconclusive position — a move he suggested was influenced by Fauci.

Erdman’s attorney, Carol Thompson, said her client fears retaliation from within the agency. “He is concerned that the CIA will use bureaucratic processes and alleged secrecy requirements to undermine his testimony and obfuscate the truth,” she stated following the hearing.

Paul, who has led repeated inquiries into the pandemic’s origins, said further revelations regarding conflicts of interest are expected. He also addressed the legal timeline surrounding Fauci’s testimony to Congress in 2021.

In May and July 2021, Fauci told lawmakers that the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which he led, did not fund gain-of-function research.

While the statute of limitations for potential perjury charges tied to his May testimony has expired, Paul noted that the deadline connected to Fauci’s July 2021 testimony extends until July 2026.

“There are a lot of questions, and I’ve sent several criminal referrals on Anthony Fauci,” Paul said, adding that he hopes they will be pursued.

READ ALSO: CIA testimony links Fauci to alleged COVID lab leak suppression

Sen. Josh Hawley also criticised what he described as a continued effort by “deep state actors” to withhold information, referencing a 2023 bill he sponsored that required the release of U.S. government evidence regarding COVID-19’s origins.

The Biden administration’s 2021 intelligence assessment concluded that agencies remained divided over whether the virus originated naturally or leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, China.

While the report did not dismiss the possibility of a leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, it described a zoonotic (natural) origin as plausible and expressed low confidence that the virus was genetically engineered or developed as a biological weapon.

At the time, then-Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines indicated it might not be possible to find definitive proof of either theory.

However, Erdman’s testimony and subsequent commentary from investigative journalist Paul D. Thacker suggest that not all classified materials supporting a lab-leak hypothesis have been publicly disclosed.

Meanwhile, legal proceedings involving Fauci’s former aide David Morens have added another layer to the controversy. A grand jury recently indicted Morens on charges related to allegedly shielding information about COVID-19’s origins from Freedom of Information Act requests.

Some analysts argue that Fauci could still face state-level investigations not covered by a federal pardon. Reports indicate that Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed the state’s Major Crimes Division to review allegations tied to pandemic policies.

While the CIA reportedly concluded last year that a lab leak was the most likely origin of COVID-19, Erdman alleged that internal whistleblowers who examined the issue faced retaliation. Thacker argued that resistance to congressional oversight extends beyond partisan politics.

“Some of the biggest problems with the federal government have nothing to do with either political party and carry on across administrations,” he said. “One of those big problems is the CIA. All agencies hate congressional oversight.”