Republicans are intensifying their investigation into the origins of COVID-19, urging the Biden administration and other key figures to comply with their requests or face potential subpoenas.
This investigation coincides with revelations from a CIA whistleblower who testified before Congress that the agency bribed its analysts to claim COVID-19 did not originate in a Wuhan lab.
In a letter obtained by DailyMail.com, Republican lawmakers have demanded full and timely compliance from HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, as their requests for documents and information have been unanswered since February when the investigation was launched.
The Republicans are specifically seeking documents related to HHS’s collaboration with EcoHealth Alliance and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which both received grants from the US government to conduct research on bat coronaviruses through gain-of-function studies.
They also want information on conference calls and communications between top HHS officials, medical professionals, organizations, and others regarding the origins of COVID-19.
Letters have also been sent to individuals with “in-depth knowledge” of COVID origins, including Greg Folkers, former chief of staff to Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance, and Gray Handley, who served as a liaison between the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and China.
A CIA whistleblower recently told Congress that the agency bribed its own analysts to say Covid-19 did not originate in a Wuhan lab, according to two Republicans
Failure to comply with the investigation’s requests may result in subpoenas being issued against the agencies and individuals involved.
The letters were signed by top Republican chairmen, including Brad Wenstrup, James Comer, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Morgan Griffith, and Brett Guthrie.
An unnamed senior-level CIA officer revealed that the agency assigned seven officers to a Covid Discovery Team, six of whom concluded with low confidence that COVID-19 originated in a lab in Wuhan. The seventh member, the team’s senior officer, believed it was a natural evolution of the virus. Later, the other six officers were allegedly incentivized monetarily to change their stance, according to the whistleblower.
The CIA declined to make a definitive assessment, stating that both hypotheses have challenges and conflicting reports.
The lawmakers from Ohio, Mike Turner and Brad Wenstrup, have sent a letter to CIA Director William Burns demanding all documents related to the matter, setting a September 26 deadline for the CIA to comply.
The Department of Energy, which oversees biological research labs in the US, concluded in February with low confidence that the virus most likely originated from a lab in Wuhan. The FBI also reached the same conclusion with moderate confidence. However, five other intelligence agencies favored the theory of natural transmission.
Despite efforts by US officials, China’s lack of cooperation has hindered definitive conclusions regarding the virus’s origins.
Researchers conducting work at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in 2017
Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup
US officials claim that China destroyed some virus samples and used others for research, making it unlikely that the true origins of the virus will ever be definitively determined.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a declassified report in June stating that both a natural and laboratory-associated origin remain plausible hypotheses.
As of this month, the global death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed seven million.
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