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The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Thursday made public an email that raises concerns regarding Anthony Fauci, former White House coronavirus task force advisor and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The
, shared on the subcommittee’s Twitter account, indicates that Fauci was aware of gain-of-function research being conducted in Wuhan, China.
Dated February 1, 2020, the email contains a summary of a meeting attended by Fauci and other scientists, discussing the origins of the coronavirus. In his summary, Fauci mentions the scientists expressing concerns about a paper from an Indian research group. The paper suggested that there were unusual mutations in the virus, which would be highly unlikely to have occurred naturally in bats. The scientists suspected that these mutations might have been deliberately introduced.
Fauci, referring to the Indian scientists, noted, “They were concerned about the fact that upon viewing the sequences of several isolates of the nCoV, there were mutations in the virus that would be most unusual to have evolved naturally in the bats and that there was a suspicion that this mutation was intentionally inserted.”
“The suspicion was heightened by the fact that scientists in Wuhan University are known to have been working on gain-of-function experiments to determine the molecular mechanisms associated with bat viruses adapting to human infection, and the outbreak originated in Wuhan,” Fauci added.
The email notes that the conversation did not involve assumptions of foul play or guilt on anyone’s part.
Along with the email disclosure, the subcommittee has sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, demanding answers regarding the content of the email and requesting documentation related to the conference call referenced in Fauci’s email.
Chairman of the subcommittee, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), challenged Health & Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra over Dr. Fauci’s email and the import on Congressional testimony that he gave that can be interpreted as highly misleading over whether or not “gain-of-function” research was indeed conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) got into a heated exchange with the nation’s former top Covid doc in July 2021 over the gain-of-function issue.
“Dr. Fauci, as you’re aware, it is a crime to lie to Congress,” Senator Paul said. “Section 1001 of the U.S. Criminal Code creates a felony and a five-year penalty for lying to Congress.”
“On your last trip to our committee on May 11th, you stated that the NIH has not ever and has not now funded gain of function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” Paul continued. “And yet, gain of function research was done entirely in the Wuhan Institute by Dr. Shi and was funded by the NIH.”
“I’d like to ask unanimous consent, insert into the record that Wuhan virology paper entitled ‘Discovery of a rich gene pool of bat SARS-related coronaviruses’,” he continued. “Please deliver a copy of the journal article to Dr. Fauci. In this paper, Dr. Shi credits the NIH and lists the actual number of the grant that she was given by the NIH. In this paper, she took two bat Coronavirus genes, spike genes, and combined them with SARS-related backbone to create new viruses that are not found in nature. These lab-created viruses were then to show to replicate in humans.”
“These experiments combined genetic information from different coronaviruses that infect animals, but not humans, to create novel artificial viruses able to infect human cells,” Paul added. “Viruses that in nature only infect animals were manipulated in the Wuhan lab to gain the function of infecting humans. This research fits the definition of the research that the NIH said was subject to the pause in 2014-2017, a pause in funding on gain of function.”
“But the NIH failed to recognize this defines it away, and it never came under any scrutiny,” he continued. “Doctor Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist from Rutgers described this research in Wuhan as ‘The Wuhan lab used NIH funding to construct novel, chimeric SARS-related coronaviruses able to infect human cells and laboratory animals. This is high-risk research that creates new potential pandemic pathogens, potential pandemic pathogens that exist only in the lab, not in nature. This research matches — these are Dr. Ebright’s words — this research matches, indeed epitomizes, the definition of gain of function research done entirely in Wuhan, for which there was supposed to be a federal pause. Dr. Fauci, knowing that it’s a crime to lie to Congress, do you wish to retract your statement of May 11th where you claimed that the NIH never funded gain of function research in Wuhan?” he asked.
“Senator Paul, I have never lied before the Congress and I do not retract that statement,” Fauci denied. “This paper that you’re referring to was judged by qualified staff up and down the chain as not being gain of function. What was — ”
“So you — ” Paul interjected.
“Let me finish!” Fauci burst.
“So you take an animal virus and you increase the transmissibility to humans, you’re saying that’s not gain of function?” Paul asked.
“Yeah, that is correct,” Fauci continued. “And Senator Paul, you do not know what you’re talking about, quite frankly. And I want to say that officially. You do not know what you are talking about. Okay, you get one person — ”
“The NIH,” Paul began.
“Can I answer?” Fauci cut in.
“This is your definition that you guys wrote,” Paul said. “It says that scientific research that increases the transmissibility among mammals is gain of function. They took animal viruses that only occur in animals and they increase their transmissibility to humans. How you can say that is not gain of function?”
“It is not,” Fauci claimed.
“It’s a dance, and you’re dancing around this, because you’re trying to obscure responsibility for 4 million people dying around the world from a pandemic,” Paul said.
“I have to — well, now you’re getting into something,” Fauci replied. “If the point that you are making is that the — the grant that was funded as a sub-award from EcoHealth to Wuhan created SARS-CoV-2, that’s where you are getting — let me finish.”
“We don’t know if it did come from the lab, but all the evidence is pointing that it came from the lab and there will be responsibility for those who funded the lab, including yourself,” Paul continued.
“I totally resent…” Fauci objected.
“This committee will allow the witness to respond,” an unknown member of the body said.
“I totally resent the lie that you are now propagating, senator, because if you look at the viruses that were used in the experiments that were given in the annual reports that were published in the literature, it is molecularly impossible,” Fauci claimed.
“No one’s saying those viruses caused it,” Paul clarified. “No one is alleging that those viruses caused the pandemic. What we’re alleging is the gain of function research was going on in that lab and NIH funded it.”
“That is not…” Fauci denied.
“You can’t get away from it,” Paul said. “It meets your definition and you are obfuscating the truth.”
“I’m not obfuscating truth. You are the one,” Fauci said before someone remarked that Senator Paul’s time had expired. Fauci was given time to respond.
“Let me just finish,” Fauci said. “I want everyone to understand that if you look at those viruses — and that’s judged by qualified virologist, an evolutionary biologist — those viruses are molecularly impossible to result in SARS-CoV-2.”
This directly contradicts the admission made in the newly released Fauci email.
Dr. Ebright, a molecular biologist at Rutgers University,
how the new documents show that Dr. Fauci and Dr. Francis Collins have been “untruthful” about funding gain-of-function research.
The materials further reveal that the the grants also supported the construction–in Wuhan–of novel chimeric MERS-related coronaviruses that combined spike genes from one MERS-related coronavirus with genetic information from another MERS-related coronavirus. The documents make it clear that assertions by the NIH Director, Francis Collins, and the NIAID Director, Anthony Fauci, that the NIH did not support gain-of-function research or potential pandemic pathogen enhancement at WIV are untruthful.
It appears from the newly revealed email that Dr. Fauci has misled Congress. It will be interesting to see if this results in more hearings and emails, or if the former top Covid doctor will actually be held accountable for misleading the American people.
, shared on the subcommittee’s Twitter account, indicates that Fauci was aware of gain-of-function research being conducted in Wuhan, China.
Dated February 1, 2020, the email contains a summary of a meeting attended by Fauci and other scientists, discussing the origins of the coronavirus. In his summary, Fauci mentions the scientists expressing concerns about a paper from an Indian research group. The paper suggested that there were unusual mutations in the virus, which would be highly unlikely to have occurred naturally in bats. The scientists suspected that these mutations might have been deliberately introduced.
Fauci, referring to the Indian scientists, noted, “They were concerned about the fact that upon viewing the sequences of several isolates of the nCoV, there were mutations in the virus that would be most unusual to have evolved naturally in the bats and that there was a suspicion that this mutation was intentionally inserted.”
“The suspicion was heightened by the fact that scientists in Wuhan University are known to have been working on gain-of-function experiments to determine the molecular mechanisms associated with bat viruses adapting to human infection, and the outbreak originated in Wuhan,” Fauci added.
The email notes that the conversation did not involve assumptions of foul play or guilt on anyone’s part.
Along with the email disclosure, the subcommittee has sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, demanding answers regarding the content of the email and requesting documentation related to the conference call referenced in Fauci’s email.
Chairman of the subcommittee, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), challenged Health & Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra over Dr. Fauci’s email and the import on Congressional testimony that he gave that can be interpreted as highly misleading over whether or not “gain-of-function” research was indeed conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) got into a heated exchange with the nation’s former top Covid doc in July 2021 over the gain-of-function issue.
“Dr. Fauci, as you’re aware, it is a crime to lie to Congress,” Senator Paul said. “Section 1001 of the U.S. Criminal Code creates a felony and a five-year penalty for lying to Congress.”
“On your last trip to our committee on May 11th, you stated that the NIH has not ever and has not now funded gain of function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” Paul continued. “And yet, gain of function research was done entirely in the Wuhan Institute by Dr. Shi and was funded by the NIH.”
“I’d like to ask unanimous consent, insert into the record that Wuhan virology paper entitled ‘Discovery of a rich gene pool of bat SARS-related coronaviruses’,” he continued. “Please deliver a copy of the journal article to Dr. Fauci. In this paper, Dr. Shi credits the NIH and lists the actual number of the grant that she was given by the NIH. In this paper, she took two bat Coronavirus genes, spike genes, and combined them with SARS-related backbone to create new viruses that are not found in nature. These lab-created viruses were then to show to replicate in humans.”
“These experiments combined genetic information from different coronaviruses that infect animals, but not humans, to create novel artificial viruses able to infect human cells,” Paul added. “Viruses that in nature only infect animals were manipulated in the Wuhan lab to gain the function of infecting humans. This research fits the definition of the research that the NIH said was subject to the pause in 2014-2017, a pause in funding on gain of function.”
“But the NIH failed to recognize this defines it away, and it never came under any scrutiny,” he continued. “Doctor Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist from Rutgers described this research in Wuhan as ‘The Wuhan lab used NIH funding to construct novel, chimeric SARS-related coronaviruses able to infect human cells and laboratory animals. This is high-risk research that creates new potential pandemic pathogens, potential pandemic pathogens that exist only in the lab, not in nature. This research matches — these are Dr. Ebright’s words — this research matches, indeed epitomizes, the definition of gain of function research done entirely in Wuhan, for which there was supposed to be a federal pause. Dr. Fauci, knowing that it’s a crime to lie to Congress, do you wish to retract your statement of May 11th where you claimed that the NIH never funded gain of function research in Wuhan?” he asked.
“Senator Paul, I have never lied before the Congress and I do not retract that statement,” Fauci denied. “This paper that you’re referring to was judged by qualified staff up and down the chain as not being gain of function. What was — ”
“So you — ” Paul interjected.
“Let me finish!” Fauci burst.
“So you take an animal virus and you increase the transmissibility to humans, you’re saying that’s not gain of function?” Paul asked.
“Yeah, that is correct,” Fauci continued. “And Senator Paul, you do not know what you’re talking about, quite frankly. And I want to say that officially. You do not know what you are talking about. Okay, you get one person — ”
“The NIH,” Paul began.
“Can I answer?” Fauci cut in.
“This is your definition that you guys wrote,” Paul said. “It says that scientific research that increases the transmissibility among mammals is gain of function. They took animal viruses that only occur in animals and they increase their transmissibility to humans. How you can say that is not gain of function?”
“It is not,” Fauci claimed.
“It’s a dance, and you’re dancing around this, because you’re trying to obscure responsibility for 4 million people dying around the world from a pandemic,” Paul said.
“I have to — well, now you’re getting into something,” Fauci replied. “If the point that you are making is that the — the grant that was funded as a sub-award from EcoHealth to Wuhan created SARS-CoV-2, that’s where you are getting — let me finish.”
“We don’t know if it did come from the lab, but all the evidence is pointing that it came from the lab and there will be responsibility for those who funded the lab, including yourself,” Paul continued.
“I totally resent…” Fauci objected.
“This committee will allow the witness to respond,” an unknown member of the body said.
“I totally resent the lie that you are now propagating, senator, because if you look at the viruses that were used in the experiments that were given in the annual reports that were published in the literature, it is molecularly impossible,” Fauci claimed.
“No one’s saying those viruses caused it,” Paul clarified. “No one is alleging that those viruses caused the pandemic. What we’re alleging is the gain of function research was going on in that lab and NIH funded it.”
“That is not…” Fauci denied.
“You can’t get away from it,” Paul said. “It meets your definition and you are obfuscating the truth.”
“I’m not obfuscating truth. You are the one,” Fauci said before someone remarked that Senator Paul’s time had expired. Fauci was given time to respond.
“Let me just finish,” Fauci said. “I want everyone to understand that if you look at those viruses — and that’s judged by qualified virologist, an evolutionary biologist — those viruses are molecularly impossible to result in SARS-CoV-2.”
This directly contradicts the admission made in the newly released Fauci email.
Dr. Ebright, a molecular biologist at Rutgers University,
how the new documents show that Dr. Fauci and Dr. Francis Collins have been “untruthful” about funding gain-of-function research.
The materials further reveal that the the grants also supported the construction–in Wuhan–of novel chimeric MERS-related coronaviruses that combined spike genes from one MERS-related coronavirus with genetic information from another MERS-related coronavirus. The documents make it clear that assertions by the NIH Director, Francis Collins, and the NIAID Director, Anthony Fauci, that the NIH did not support gain-of-function research or potential pandemic pathogen enhancement at WIV are untruthful.
It appears from the newly revealed email that Dr. Fauci has misled Congress. It will be interesting to see if this results in more hearings and emails, or if the former top Covid doctor will actually be held accountable for misleading the American people.
Fauci Had Knowledge of Gain-of-Function Research Being Conducted at Wuhan Lab: Newly Revealed Emails
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Thursday made public an email that raises concerns regarding Anthony Fauci, former White House coronavirus task force advisor and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The email, shared on the...
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