New emails have surfaced suggesting that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), encouraged federal employees to destroy government records related to the origins of COVID-19.
The revelations come from a series of emails obtained by congressional investigators and highlighted by Senator Rand Paul, who has long pressed for transparency regarding Fauci’s handling of the pandemic.
“We now have clear evidence that Dr. Fauci instructed federal employees to delete official records,” Senator Paul told the New York Post. “This is a violation of federal law and contradicts his sworn testimony.”
One email from February 2020 was particularly damning. It came shortly after a high-level call with virologists about the origins of COVID-19. According to congressional memos, the email included instructions to “delete” messages that discussed the possibility of a lab leak.
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic released a memo describing “serious misconduct and potentially illegal actions” by Fauci’s senior adviser, Dr. David Morens.
“Dr. Morens unlawfully deleted federal COVID-19 records, used a personal email to avoid FOIA, and repeatedly acted unbecoming of a federal employee,” the subcommittee memo stated.
Emails from Morens also appear to implicate Fauci directly. In one exchange, Morens wrote that Fauci “is too smart to have things in writing,” adding that he would help keep certain discussions “off the record.”
Lawmakers say this proves Fauci was aware of efforts to destroy records. “These revelations demonstrate that Dr. Fauci was not only complicit but may have personally directed the destruction of federal records,” Rep. Brad Wenstrup, chair of the subcommittee, said in a press release.
The alleged cover-up centers around the controversial February 2020 paper, The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2, which dismissed the lab leak theory as a conspiracy. Critics argue Fauci’s behind-the-scenes influence shaped that narrative while publicly denying any involvement.
“What we’re seeing now is evidence of deliberate deception,” Paul said. “Fauci told the American people one thing while working behind the scenes to suppress alternative theories.”
The emails also reveal an ongoing effort within the NIH to avoid Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Morens admitted in one exchange that he would “delete anything” that might be requested by watchdogs.
“I always try to communicate via Gmail because my NIH email is FOIA’d constantly,” Morens wrote in an email subpoenaed by Congress.
Senator Paul blasted this as a clear violation of federal transparency laws. “The law is very clear—federal employees cannot use private emails to conduct official business and then destroy records to avoid oversight,” he said.
In response, Paul sent a letter to the Department of Justice demanding a full investigation into Fauci and Morens. “The DOJ must investigate whether Dr. Fauci and his associates engaged in the unlawful destruction of records,” Paul wrote.
The New York Post reported that Fauci has been called back to Congress for further questioning. Lawmakers want him to explain the newly released emails that appear to contradict his past testimony.
“Fauci testified under oath that he never instructed anyone to delete records,” Wenstrup said. “These emails suggest otherwise, and that raises serious questions about perjury.”
The controversy is not new. In 2022, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) warned the NIH about potential violations of federal recordkeeping requirements.
In a letter obtained by archives.gov, NARA said NIH staff had allegedly been ordered to “shred notes and other documents” referencing its work with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
“If proven true, these are unauthorized dispositions of federal records,” the letter from NARA stated.
Conservative lawmakers say the implications are massive. “If Fauci ordered records destroyed, that is criminal,” Rep. Jim Jordan said in a Fox News interview. “We’re talking about one of the most consequential cover-ups in U.S. history.”
Paul went further, accusing Fauci of intentionally misleading Congress. “This is about accountability,” he said. “No federal employee, no matter how powerful, is above the law.”
Fauci, however, has denied wrongdoing. In past interviews, he insisted he has always complied with federal transparency rules. “I have nothing to hide,” Fauci said in July when asked about earlier reports of email deletions.
Still, lawmakers say his denials don’t match the evidence. “He told us under oath that he never destroyed records,” Wenstrup said. “Now we see emails where his top adviser brags about deleting them on his behalf.”