WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has once again accused Dr. Anthony Fauci of lying during previous testimony to Congress after new public documents released this week covered how much funding the health organization that Fauci heads up – the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) – has supplied to the Wuhan, China research lab that some suspect of being the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fauci has repeatedly insisted that NIAID took no part in funding “gain-of-function” research – which genetically alters organisms to enhance pathogenesis, transmissibility, or host range – in Wuhan that may have resulted in the creation of the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 and its variants.
However, according to a report released on Monday, documents have been released reveal that American health organization EcoHealth Alliance had received $3.1 million from the U.S. government which was then used to fund bat coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).
The report notes that $600,000 was specifically earmarked for gain-of-function research to see if bat coronaviruses could be altered so that they could infect human beings.
Senator Paul, a steadfast Fauci critic throughout the pandemic, has continuously accused the NIAID head of lying about his organization’s funding efforts in Wuhan; upon learning of the existence of the new documents reported on Monday, the GOP senator tweeted out a link to the article while claiming that Fauci had been caught red-handed.
“Surprise surprise – Fauci lied again. And I was right about his agency funding novel Coronavirus research at Wuhan,” Paul’s tweet said. “Read this thread and the papers released.”
In addition, Rutgers University chemical biology professor Richard Ebright tweeted that the new report revealed Fauci and National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins were allegedly playing fast and loose with the truth.
“The documents make it clear that assertions by the NIH Director, Francis Collins, and the NIAID Director, Anthony Fauci, that the NIH did not support gain-of-function research or potential pandemic pathogen enhancement at WIV are untruthful,” Ebright said.
In May Paul opened up his questioning of Fauci by informing him that lying to Congress is a violation of federal law that is punishable with up to five years in prison.
“Dr. Fauci, knowing that it is a crime to lie to Congress, do you wish to retract your statement of May 11, where you claimed that the NIH never funded gains-of-function research in Wuhan?” Paul asked.
“I have never lied before the Congress, and I do not retract that statement,” Fauci replied. “You do not know what you are talking about quite frankly and I want to say that officially.”
At the time, Paul said he would be sending a letter to the Department of Justice asking for a criminal referral.
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