The former director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, declassified documents that she claimed show how Anthony Fauci pushed for federal funding for research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology
The former Director of National Intelligence of the United States, Tulsi Gabbard, declassified a series of internal documents that, according to her office, show how Anthony Fauci allegedly facilitated the allocation of millions of dollars in public funds to research conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
The release of these files reignited one of the biggest controversies that arose during the pandemic: the possible origin of COVID-19 in a Chinese laboratory and the role that U.S. agencies may have played in funding high-risk research.
Gabbard denounced years of cover-ups
In announcing the declassification, Gabbard stated that American citizens deserve to know the whole truth about the events surrounding the pandemic.
"The COVID-19 pandemic caused enormous hardships and suffering for millions of Americans and countless people around the world", the former official asserted.
Additionally, she accused sectors of the federal bureaucracy of having hidden relevant information for years.
"After years of lies, censorship, and cover-ups, the American people deserve transparency, truth, and accountability", she noted.
The accusations against Fauci
According to Gabbard, the declassified internal communications show that various intelligence agencies often followed the recommendations made by Fauci during the development of research related to zoonotic viruses.
The former director went even further, claiming that high-level officials manipulated information to avoid public scrutiny.
The debate about the origin of COVID remains ongoing
"Politicized leaders with their own interests, like Dr. Fauci, covered up their own irregularities and abuses of power, manipulated intelligence, lied to Congress, and restricted access to key information", she stated.
The accusations come in a context where more and more U.S. agencies consider it plausible that COVID-19 originated at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, although the scientific debate remains open.
The debate over the origin of COVID remains relevant
The lab leak theory was initially dismissed by much of the scientific community and international media. However, over the years, various official investigations and intelligence assessments began to consider that possibility as a credible hypothesis.
The disclosure of these documents adds new pressure on the authorities involved in managing the pandemic and could lead to new political investigations in Washington.
Gabbard left the position of National Intelligence
The release of the files occurred on Gabbard's last day at the helm of the National Intelligence Directorate.
Following her departure, Bill Pulte will temporarily assume leadership of the agency, a decision that has already raised questions within the U.S. Congress.
Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding Fauci's role, the funding of research in Wuhan, and the origin of COVID-19 is once again taking center stage in the political debate in the United States.
