Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky has accused Dr. Anthony Fauci of funding gain-of-function research, which allegedly led to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Paul contends that Fauci coerced intelligence analysts, including the CIA, to change their initial assessments about the COVID-19 lab leak origin. He criticizes what he terms as ‘misdirection, conspiracy,’ and ‘cover-up’ that misled the public.
Files released by Sen. Rand Paul reveal that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents planned to question a British zoologist, Peter Daszak, upon his return to the United States from the World Health Organization’s investigation into the origins of COVID-19. However, the FBI intervened and directed the agents to stand down.
“They told the public a COVID lab leak ‘wasn’t plausible,'” Rand wrote. “Their own private messages say otherwise. Today I’m launching The Reading Room where the public can review records related to my ongoing investigation – not just conclusions but the actual documents.”
The documents show that CBP’s National Targeting Center flagged Daszak as a “high person of interest” before his arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport on February 5, 2021. Daszak, the former president of EcoHealth Alliance, was under scrutiny due to his over 15-year-long collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and his role as the principal investigator on National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants funding bat coronavirus research in China.
According to the documents, much of the funding Daszak received was directed towards gain-of-function research. The NIH had requested Daszak to retrieve the original type-specimen used by WIV for genetic analysis and return it to the U.S. They also asked for explanations regarding several aspects of his lab collaboration, including providing related cell phone data.
CBP officials intended to question Daszak regarding his activities in China, contacts at the WIV, and whether he illegally collected or carried biological samples. However, the FBI’s New York Field Office asked CBP to halt the planned inspection.
The released records contain detailed flight itineraries, proposed interrogation questions, and internal emails capturing interagency disagreements regarding the search.
On X, Paul wrote a thread, mentioning, “This isn’t the whole story. It’s the start of one. The Reading Room will be updated on a rolling basis as the investigation continues.” Daszak, who was part of the 10-member WHO team investigating the origins of SARS-CoV-2, now leads Nature Health Global, focusing on ecological research, public health, and pandemic prevention.
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