Americans may not be any closer to getting an official explanation about how the COVID-19 virus came about—but at least soon they will no longer have to pay for the research that likely caused it.
The Biden administration has moved to cut off funding for a controversial nonprofit that funded gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China.
The Department of Health and Human Services alerted the nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance that it would begin disbarment proceedings to keep taxpayer money from going to the group after it did not monitor its dangerous research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).
Altogether, EcoHealth received $4.1 million in taxpayer funds—and sent more than half-a-million dollars to the Wuhan Institute of Virology to carry out gain-of-function research.
President Donald Trump cut off all funding to EcoHealth in 2020—but Joe Biden let the money flow back to the nonprofit and its controversial activities.
The new HHS letter singles out the group’s leader, Dr. Peter Daszak, who became one of the leading critics of COVID “conspiracy theories” in the early days of 2020.
Daszak and other “public health experts” like Dr. Anthony Fauci insisted it was almost impossible for the coronavirus to leak out of the Wuhan lab and into the general populace. But today, lab creation is considered by many experts as the most likely origin.
“You participated in, knew of, or had reason to know of EHA’s improper conduct,” the May 15 letter tells Daszak.
The ban should last three years, but the letter tells Daszak, “I may impose debarment for a longer period or shorter period as the circumstances warrant.”
“Finally,” said Senator Rand Paul, R-Ky., an unfailing critic of taxpayer-funded gain-of-function research.
🚨🚨 NEW → Just sent a letter to Biden's HHS Secretary demanding he launch an investigation into EcoHealth Alliance and Peter Daszak now that we know EcoHealth gave American taxpayer dollars to the Wuhan lab for gain of function research.
We won’t let them cover this up. pic.twitter.com/vSIaUqivYA
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) April 19, 2022
In fact, the defunding comes as congressional investigators released a report allegedly documenting Daszak’s numerous attempts to mislead Congress. The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic issued a 56-page report detailing Daszak’s deceptions on May 1.
It called for Biden to “immediately commence suspension and debarment proceedings against both EcoHealth and Dr. Daszak” and asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to “evaluate if Dr. Daszak violated any federal laws.”
Weeks earlier, House leaders revealed that Daszak had said he intended to carry out gain-of-function research at the University of North Carolina…but he secretly planned to use the Wuhan Institute of Virology all along…even though it had far lower biosecurity measures to prevent viruses from infecting the public.
He also knew that WIV had produced a virus exceeding legal U.S. standards but kept the information to itself.
The EcoHealth Alliance kept the Trump administration in the dark about nearly all its activities. EcoHealth was due to turn in a progress report by the end of September 2019 — but it didn’t do so until early August 2021, after Joe Biden took office. And EHA still hasn’t produced any information requested in 2021 or 2022.
In the meantime, Daszak tried to beat down his opponents in the public square. In February 2020, Daszak put out a statement with 26 other scientists stating, “We stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin.” They warned that “conspiracy theories do nothing but create fear, rumours, and prejudice that jeopardise our global collaboration in the fight against this virus.” The letter didn’t spell out which “conspiracy theories” it condemned, but everyone at the time speculated the virus came from the Wuhan lab.
Daszak’s statement expressed the politicized scientists’ “solidarity with all scientists and health professionals in China.” Daszak also revealed under oath that he has responded to queries from the FBI, CIA, and Defense Intelligence Agency, although he denied having any “standing relationship” with those agencies.
However well-connected Daszak may be, he could face legal consequences — especially if Donald Trump wins a second term in office this November.
He’s not out of the woods yet. Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, chairman of the subcommittee, has threatened to subpoena him and said he “intends to hold Dr. Daszak accountable for any dishonesty.”Wenstrup also reminded Daszak that he still has to start “producing all outstanding documents and answering all the questions from this Congressional body.”
Daszak has already proven he doesn’t have the answers. It’s time to defund all gain-of-function research. Let the Chinese Communist Party pay for the next pandemic itself.