Outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has released a collection of declassified intelligence records that she says expose Anthony Fauci’s involvement in shaping intelligence community discussions surrounding the origins of COVID-19 and raise questions about his congressional testimony regarding U.S.-funded coronavirus research connected to Wuhan, China.

The document release, published June 18 by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), includes internal emails, briefing records, whistleblower-related correspondence, intelligence assessments, and records concerning the federal government’s handling of competing theories about the origins of the pandemic.

In announcing the release, Gabbard alleged that Fauci “manipulated intelligence,” influenced official assessments regarding COVID-19’s origins, and provided false testimony to Congress concerning his knowledge of and involvement in discussions with intelligence officials.

The newly released records provide support for some of those claims, while leaving other allegations unresolved.

Sources:

COVID-19 Release Index
COVID-19 Release Part 1
COVID-19 Release Part 2
COVID-19 Release Part 3
COVID-19 Release Part 4

Fauci Briefed Intelligence Officials

Among the documents is a June 2021 readout describing a briefing between Fauci and intelligence community personnel involved in evaluating COVID-19 origins.

According to the readout, Fauci participated in a roughly 40-minute discussion involving intelligence officials, CIA personnel, and National Security Council staff. During the session, Fauci discussed research involving pangolins, reports concerning researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), competing theories about viral lineages, and China’s response to the outbreak.

The records also indicate Fauci recommended several outside scientists whom intelligence officials should contact during their review of competing origin theories.

Subsequent internal emails show intelligence personnel viewed Fauci as a valuable source of expertise. In one exchange, an official described Fauci as someone who likely knew “better than most who the real Coronavirus experts are” and supported following up on scientists Fauci had recommended.

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Internal Conflict Concerns

At the same time, other documents reveal concerns about Fauci’s potential role in the intelligence review process.

One July 2021 email discussing possible outside reviewers for a COVID origins assessment states that Fauci’s name had been suggested repeatedly as a candidate.

Another official rejected the idea, writing that Fauci should not serve as a reviewer because, in addition to being a customer of the intelligence community, “he’ll be seen by many as having a conflict of interest.”

The exchange is one of the clearest indications within the released records that at least some officials believed Fauci’s involvement in COVID-origin discussions presented an appearance problem given his position as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and his connection to federally funded coronavirus research.

Whistleblower Complaint Alleged False Testimony

The release also includes correspondence regarding a whistleblower complaint alleging that Fauci provided false testimony to Congress regarding gain-of-function research and federal funding connected to Wuhan-based coronavirus research.

Internal ODNI communications show officials reviewing the complaint and discussing whether it qualified as an urgent concern under intelligence community whistleblower procedures.

The complaint focused in part on Fauci’s exchanges with Sen. Rand Paul, during which Fauci maintained that the National Institutes of Health did not fund gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The documents show intelligence officials reviewed the allegations and related congressional testimony, though the records do not establish a formal finding that Fauci knowingly provided false testimony.

Lab-Leak Debate Remains Unresolved

The broader question of COVID-19’s origins remains unsettled despite years of investigation.

Documents included in the release show that intelligence analysts were discussing laboratory-origin scenarios much earlier than many public accounts suggested. Internal correspondence references concerns regarding gain-of-function research, the virus’s furin cleavage site, and work being conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Other records include assessments noting that the conditions necessary for an accidental laboratory release were present in Wuhan and that multiple origin scenarios remained plausible.

However, the released materials do not provide conclusive evidence that SARS-CoV-2 was engineered in a laboratory or that it originated from a specific research project.

Likewise, while the records demonstrate Fauci’s involvement in discussions with intelligence officials and show concerns regarding conflicts of interest, they do not by themselves conclusively establish that Fauci manipulated intelligence assessments or directed analysts toward a predetermined conclusion.

What the Documents Show

The strongest conclusions supported by the released records are narrower than some of the public claims surrounding them.

The documents establish that Fauci communicated with intelligence officials about COVID origins, provided substantive input during the intelligence community’s review process, recommended outside experts for consideration, and became the subject of a whistleblower complaint alleging false congressional testimony.

They also show that some officials viewed Fauci as a valuable expert while others believed his participation created conflict-of-interest concerns.

Whether those facts ultimately support Gabbard’s broader allegations of intelligence manipulation remains a matter likely to face continued scrutiny as researchers, journalists, and congressional investigators examine the newly released material in greater detail.

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Dave Soulia | FYIVT

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