The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic is calling for a criminal investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 virus following the release of an interim staff report accusing EcoHealth Alliance President Dr. Peter Daszak of funding dangerous gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China without proper oversight. The committee alleges that Dr. Daszak repeatedly violated the terms of the NIH grant awarded to EcoHealth, and is recommending the formal debarment of EcoHealth and a criminal investigation into Dr. Daszak. EcoHealth Alliance is a non-governmental organization based in the United States focused on researching pandemic prevention, but according to congressional lawmakers, it used taxpayer dollars to fund research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China.
EcoHealth Alliance disputes the claims made by the committee, stating that it did not support gain-of-function research at WIV, and that any assertions otherwise are based on misinterpretation or misrepresentation of its research. The organization cited a letter from the NIH to EcoHealth Alliance in 2016 confirming that the work proposed was not subject to gain-of-function research funding pause. Dr. Daszak publicly testified before the House Select Subcommittee, addressing the allegations against EcoHealth Alliance and emphasizing the organization’s longstanding collaborations with Chinese scientists. He acknowledged the misinformation surrounding the origins of COVID-19 but denied any wrongdoing on the part of EcoHealth Alliance.
Fox News Digital previously reported that EcoHealth Alliance received millions of dollars in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which were used to fund research conducted by Chinese entities through EcoHealth Alliance. The NGO maintains that it did not engage in gain-of-function research, despite claims made by the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. The FBI Director has stated that the COVID-19 pandemic most likely originated from a Chinese lab, adding to the ongoing debate surrounding the virus’s origins and the role played by organizations like EcoHealth Alliance.
The demands for an investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 virus are based on overwhelming primary source documents and credible firsthand testimony gathered by the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. The committee accuses Dr. Peter Daszak of not adhering to the terms of the NIH grant awarded to EcoHealth Alliance and recommends a criminal investigation into the organization and its president. EcoHealth Alliance has been targeted with false allegations, death threats, break-ins, and media harassment in response to the controversy surrounding the origins of COVID-19, leading Dr. Daszak to publicly refute the myths and false allegations about the organization’s research.
Despite the allegations made against EcoHealth Alliance, the organization maintains that it did not support gain-of-function research at WIV in China, and that any claims to the contrary are based on misinterpretation or misrepresentation. The NIH has supported EcoHealth Alliance’s stance, confirming in a letter in 2016 that the research proposed was not subject to gain-of-function research funding pause. Dr. Daszak emphasized the public nature of the organization’s work and its collaborations with Chinese scientists, stating that EcoHealth Alliance has taken great efforts to address the allegations and present the facts publicly. The controversy surrounding the funding of research at WIV and the origins of the COVID-19 virus continues to be a topic of debate, with calls for further investigation and accountability within the scientific community.
