Lawyers file criminal referrals against Fauci in seven states
On Tuesday, a law firm filed criminal referrals in seven states against several public health officials who masterminded the US government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Anthony Fauci was one of the officials criminally referred by the Vires Law Group, which collaborated with the Former Feds Group Freedom Foundation. Others were NIAID Deputy Director Dr. Cliff Lane, former National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Francis Collins, former White House COVID Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx, former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, former FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock, Baylor National School of Tropical Medicine Dean Dr. Peter Hotez, former CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, former EcoHealth Alliance President Dr. Peter Daszak, University of North Carolina Professor Dr. Ralph Baric, and former BARDA Director Dr. Rick Bright, along with hospital administrators and healthcare providers in Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Criminal referral requests were filed with the attorneys general in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
The filings accused the public health officials of murder, involuntary manslaughter, negligent homicide, assault, aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, vulnerable adult abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and abuse of a care-dependent person, kidnapping, trafficking of persons for forced labor or services, criminal coercion to restrict another’s freedom, operating a corrupt organization, violations of state anti-racketeering laws, and terrorism.
“The referrals are based on detailed evidence—including the stories of over 80 victims and families—and allege that policies such as lethal hospital protocols, the denial of life-saving treatments, and systemic medical coercion led to widespread injury and death,” reported Nicolas Hulscher of the McCullough Foundation.
Fauci under criminal investigation
In February, 17 state attorneys general launched a criminal investigation into Fauci for mismanaging the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), the coalition requested information related to Fauci’s misconduct. Although Fauci received a last-minute blanket pardon from Joe Biden in January, the AGs said that does not protect the former COVID czar from state prosecution.
“Although former President Biden attempted to shield potential bad actors—like Dr. Anthony Fauci—from accountability via preemptive pardons, we are confident that state laws may provide a means to hold all actors accountable for their misconduct,“ they wrote. “Certainly, one potential tool at our disposal is the referral of any pertinent findings to state officials. As you are aware, a pardon by former President Biden does not extend to preclude state-level investigations or legal proceedings,” they added.
The lab leak theory
The AGs asked for any congressional findings on Fauci’s deception of the American public regarding the origin of the COVID-19 outbreak. Fauci repeatedly dismissed claims that the virus originated in a lab at the Wuhan Institute of Technology even though evidence points to that explanation. His denial that it leaked from a lab resulted in users being censored by social media platforms for suggesting it.
“As we all now know, and as the report found, the weight of the evidence increasingly supports a lab leak hypothesis, and Dr. Fauci’s potential involvement in attempting to discredit that hypothesis is troubling,” the AGs wrote. “Any deliberate manipulation or suppression of alternative hypotheses could have delayed critical understanding of and responses to the Pandemic, with dire consequences for global health.”
False testimony about gain-of-function research
The letter then accused Fauci of lying to Congress when he testified that the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which includes NIAID, did not fund the gain-of-function research that produced the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
“Dr. Fauci categorically denied that such funding was occurring three times. The Subcommittee confirmed that such research was indeed funded through the EcoHealth Alliance, directly contradicting Dr. Fauci's statements. This discrepancy not only raises questions about the integrity of his testimony but also about the broader implications for scientific integrity and public trust. The possibility of perjury or at least a significant lack of transparency demands attention,” the AGs said.
Lack of oversight
They also alleged that Fauci was guilty of “mismanagement or negligence” for failing to properly oversee the NIH grants to EcoHealth Alliance, the group that spearheaded the research in the Wuhan lab. Not only have investigations concluded that the NIH failed to properly monitor the research, but in 2022 the agency issued another grant to EcoHealth Alliance for the same gain-of-function research.
Censorship
Next, the AGs said that Fauci’s “trust the science” campaign silenced health experts who tried to warn the public about the dangers of the experimental mRNA vaccines.
“Dr. Fauci led a deliberate campaign to stifle the voices of premier health scholars regarding the lack of adequate testing of vaccines. This subsequently siloed crucial information from the public that may have led to more public awareness concerning the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis among young adult males; the verified increased risk of blood clots in women; and the long-term effects vaccines had on fertility. The notion of 'trusting the science' not only was grotesquely false, but was the very definition of propaganda that contributed to serious vaccine injuries—and in some cases, death.”
“Our current capabilities may be somewhat limited, and thus, your cooperation would be invaluable,” the AGs concluded. “You are uniquely positioned to assist us by providing us with information that could outline potential courses of action under state law, should they exist. If possible, please furnish us with the necessary details so that we may make informed decisions aimed at holding malign actors accountable.”
The coalition, led by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, included Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, Florida Acting Attorney General John Guard, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley, Utah Attorney General Derek E. Brown, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudson, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, West Virginia Attorney General John B. McCuskey, and Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers.
