Former NIAID adviser David Morens indicted for hiding emails and falsifying records

David Morens, a former senior adviser at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was indicted on Tuesday for allegedly concealing emails and providing false responses to Freedom of Information Act requests.

Prosecutors allege that Morens hid and falsified records to impede discussion of alternative theories about the origins of SARS-CoV-2, and that he received kickbacks such as wine and offers of meals at upscale restaurants.

The indictment follows months of congressional investigations into the pandemic’s origins. While Morens served as a top aide to former NIAID director Anthony Fauci, Fauci is not named in the charges.