Former White House medical advisor Anthony Fauci instructed other federal officials to delete his emails, raising contradictions with his previous testimony claiming he never would ask staff to bypass federal record-keeping laws.
“After reading this, please delete this email,” Fauci wrote to Francis Collins, head of the National Institutes of Health, on February 2, 2020, while both were still in their federal roles. This email was shared by Senator Rand Paul on X Thursday morning.
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has been looking into the origins of Covid-19 for several years.
Fauci has not yet responded to requests for comments.
In the email, Fauci communicated with Collins and then-director Jeremy Farrar. Health officials, who managed significant funding for biomedical research, were trying to control public discussions regarding the potential origins of Covid-19, particularly by involving the World Health Organization (WHO). Previously released emails have shed light on these discussions.
“I agree with you,” Fauci expressed in another email from the same day, indicating a desire for a quick meeting of experts to avoid the proliferation of conspiracy theories that could harm science and international relations.
In a later email shared by Paul, Fauci requested Collins to delete a message discussing the slow progress of officials Mike Ryan and perhaps Bernhard Schwartländer. “They’re good people, but they can be really slow—especially since no one wants to upset anybody,” Fauci noted.
Senator Paul highlighted that the cover-up appeared to begin when the virus was just becoming a concern. One day after discussions regarding the proximal origin of the virus, Fauci, Collins, and Farrar plotted to influence scientific narratives under the WHO.
Further divergence arose in another email from April 2020, where Fauci disparaged Paul while also asking federal colleagues to delete his comments. “As usual, he’s full of S..T,” Fauci stated in response to criticisms about mortality rates in New York, expressing frustration over the ongoing discourse.
Questions about potential conspiracies within Fauci’s circle persist, as his emails from 2023 revealed efforts to avoid the Freedom of Information Act while interacting with the president of EcoHealth Alliance, an organization closely linked with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
David Morens, a senior scientific advisor to Fauci, indicated in emails that he could communicate with Fauci via private email or in person, creating what he described as a “back channel.” In testimonies, Fauci distanced himself from Morens, who had worked closely with him for nearly two decades.
Investigations have been conducted into apparent attempts to bypass the Freedom of Information Act by altering terms related to the origins of the pandemic. FBI Director Kash Patel mentioned during a podcast that the bureau obtained Fauci’s phone call during an ongoing investigation into Covid’s origins, and that they were collaborating with Senator Paul. Additionally, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard indicated that her office was exploring potential links to a Wuhan lab leak.
