States launch criminal investigation into Fauci
Seventeen state attorneys general launched a criminal investigation last week into former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci for mismanaging the COVID-19 pandemic.
Limited protection from the presidential pardon
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 last month, 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 breakout. 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.
