ODNI Accuses Fauci of Manipulating COVID Intelligence

WASHINGTON — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released documents June 18 that ODNI said show Anthony Fauci manipulated COVID-19 intelligence and lied to Congress about viral research.

The claims are allegations by Gabbard’s office. None has been independently verified or established in court, and Fauci has previously denied similar accusations.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said the communications concern Fauci’s role in U.S. funding for coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and intelligence assessments on the origins of COVID-19.

ODNI alleged that Fauci, as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, provided millions in U.S. taxpayer dollars for what the agency called dangerous gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan lab.

The agency also alleged that Fauci worked with politicized career leaders in the intelligence community to suppress information about the lab-leak theory and his role in U.S. funding for the research.

ODNI further claimed Fauci took on three roles that shielded him from scrutiny, advised analysts through hand-picked scientists in what it called a “circular reporting loop,” and promoted a paper the agency described as fraudulent as legitimate intelligence material.

Gabbard said in a post on X that she was releasing the materials on her final day as director. She said the documents exposed how Fauci “lied to Congress while under oath in 2024.”

In the ODNI release, Gabbard said Americans “deserve transparency, truth, and accountability.”

The release said the materials came from Gabbard’s yearlong declassification review in support of President Donald Trump’s maximum transparency mandate.

After years of lies, censorship and cover ups, the American people deserve transparency, truth, and accountability. — Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence

ODNI said officials gathered testimony from multiple intelligence community whistleblowers who reported retaliation for challenging findings on the virus’ origins.

According to ODNI, whistleblowers described a contractor terminated days after coming forward, analysts warned that disagreement could hurt promotions, and senior leaders who allegedly created roadblocks in the complaint process. Gabbard referred those examples to the intelligence community’s inspector general.

ODNI said the correspondence contradicts Fauci’s 2024 testimony to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. Fauci was asked whether he spoke with U.S. intelligence agencies about viral research and later said, “not to my knowledge about COVID,” according to the agency.

Fauci has rejected accusations that he misled lawmakers or ran a cover-up, previously calling such claims “preposterous.”