The 83-year-old former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is finally brought before Congressional Committees to answer questions about the start of the pandemic - but nobody expected what he said
Written by Chief Political Correspondent Kurt Dillon - Because the truth matters!
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the previous director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and a crucial adviser to two US presidents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, left the chairman of a House subcommittee "astonished" due to his seemingly limited recall of the initial stages of the outbreak, during which over 1.1 million Americans lost their lives.
The 83-year-old Fauci appeared to be cooperating on the first day of his two-day transcribed interview with the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, as reported by Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio).
During that interview, discussions revolved around the development of research processes, grants, oversight of regulations, and potential solutions for a better path forward. Wenstrup, in a statement to reporters, pledged that the panel would seek explanations for pandemic-era failures and would likewise scrutinize Fauci's role as the face of America's COVID-19 public health response. The chairman anticipated that Fauci's testimony would shed at least some light on previously unexplored topics.
So far, Wenstrup's subcommittee has particularly focused on Fauci and former NIH Director Francis Collins's attempts to suppress global dissent on the "lab-leak theory" of COVID-19's origins. They obtained internal communications revealing efforts to debunk the theory in a 2020 paper that was published in the journal Nature Medicine. The panel also subpoenaed one of Fauci's top advisers for potential mishandling of COVID-19 origins documents.
Despite Fauci and Collins denying NIH funding for risky gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology, questions surrounding the June 2023 Government Accountability Office report persist. The report outlined NIH's contributions to Chinese research institutions, raising biosafety concerns, which directly led to the cessation of funding.
During the hearing, Wenstrup immediately zeroed in on Fauci's "new definition" of "operational" gain-of-function research, causing confusion among scientists. The chairman emphasized the need for Fauci to clarify his definition, particularly as it differs from commonly used terms in scientific reporting around the world, not just here in The United States.
While Fauci faced questions about COVID-19 origins, vaccine mandates, and future pandemic prevention, Wenstrup expressed anticipation and deemed the closed-door format essential for obtaining factual details, while avoiding political posturing since the hearing wasn’t immediately available to the public.
The subcommittee's inquiry eventually extended to Fauci's influence within the US intelligence community regarding the pandemic's origin. A whistleblower previously disclosed what they allege was Fauci's secret visit to CIA headquarters in an attempt to influence analysts struggling to determine the virus's transmission.
Fauci declined to respond to questions about the whistleblower's claims during this first interview. The subcommittee is also expected to scrutinize whether the US funded the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Wenstrup also plans to question Fauci on various response aspects of the pandemic, including government communication about natural immunity, mask mandates, school closures, and business lockdowns.
Another key element of the last day of scheduled testimony is expected to be Fauci's acceptance of royalties and potential conflicts of interest during his decades-long public health tenure which have also come under scrutiny.
One notable aside, Rep. Raul Ruiz, the ranking member, did not attend the proceedings, while Rep. Nicole Malliotakis expected more questions on whether the US funded the Wuhan Institute of Virology to be a focal point in Tuesday's session.
It will be very interesting to see where the second day Q & A goes and how fast it gets there.
Of course, this is a still developing story and you can count on The Veracity Report and Wild Orchid Media to keep you up to date as new revelations and information become available.
The following sources contributed to the formation of this story: CBS News, The US House of Representatives Oversight Committee, and The HillCOVID-19.
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