Fauci Senior Advisor David Morens Indicted on Multiple Federal Charges for Concealing COVID-19 Records

WASHINGTON — David M. Morens, 78, a longtime senior scientific advisor to Dr. Anthony Fauci at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), was indicted April 28, 2026, on five federal counts for allegedly conspiring with unnamed co-conspirators to conceal, destroy, and falsify federal records related to COVID-19 research grants during the pandemic.

The indictment, unsealed in U.S. District Court in Maryland, charges Morens with one count of conspiracy against the United States, two counts of destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in a federal investigation, and two counts of concealment, removal, or mutilation of records. He is also charged with aiding and abetting.

According to the Department of Justice, Morens and his co-conspirators used personal email accounts to conduct official government business in order to evade Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and the Federal Records Act. Prosecutors allege the scheme was designed to hide communications about NIH grant funding, particularly the EcoHealth Alliance grant titled “Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence,” which supported research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.

The indictment states that after NIH terminated the EcoHealth grant amid allegations that COVID-19 may have originated from the Wuhan lab, Morens and others worked to conceal records, delete emails, and suppress information that could support alternative theories about the virus’s origins. Prosecutors further allege Morens received gifts, including wine and offers of high-end meals, from a collaborator and then contributed to scientific publications promoting the natural-origin theory of COVID-19.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called the alleged conduct “a profound abuse of trust at a time when the American people needed it most — during the height of a global pandemic.” He added: “As alleged in the indictment, Dr. Morens and his co-conspirators deliberately concealed information and falsified records in an effort to suppress alternative theories regarding the origins of COVID-19.”

The charges stem in large part from evidence uncovered during the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic’s multi-year investigation. In 2024, the subcommittee released internal emails showing Morens had bragged to colleagues about using personal email to avoid FOIA, deleting federal records, and undermining congressional oversight. The panel also documented instances in which Morens allegedly misled investigators and shared nonpublic NIH information with EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak.

Morens served as Fauci’s senior advisor from 2006 until his retirement in 2022. He held a top-level position in NIAID’s Office of the Director and was deeply involved in grant oversight and scientific policy during the pandemic.

If convicted on all counts, Morens faces a maximum of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge, up to 20 years in prison for each count of falsification of records in a federal investigation, and up to three years for each count of concealment or removal of records.

The case is part of the broader Trump administration review of COVID-19 origins and federal records practices at NIH. No charges have been filed against Fauci or other senior officials at this time. Morens has not yet entered a plea, and his attorney has not issued a public statement.

The indictment marks the first criminal charges to emerge directly from congressional scrutiny of Fauci’s inner circle and the handling of pandemic-related records and grant oversight.