Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) argued Tuesday that Dr. Anthony Fauci threw David Morens, his longtime adviser, “to the wolves” during his first congressional hearing since retiring.
Fauci joined the House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on Monday on the coronavirus pandemic, where he faced multiple questions about Morens, a former senior adviser at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Congressional investigators found that Morens appeared to have attempted to evade Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests by using his personal email account to communicate with outside entities. Fauci denied the claims, stating that he was unsure whether Morens reported directly to him.
Paul connected The Hill's “Rising” Tuesday, where he said one of the most surprising things to come out of the hearing, which was marked by some chaotic moments, was how quickly Fauci “threw his aide under the bus.”
“Daivd Morens worked for Anthony Fauci for 20 years and in his opening statement he says, 'I barely knew the man, he had an office in another building, hardly ever saw him and was not involved in my policy meetings.' said Paul. “And so they've essentially thrown David Morens to the wolves now.”
Paul continued, arguing that Morens' testimony “directly contradicts” what Fauci said Monday.
“And so I think further investigation is needed to find out who is telling the truth here,” he said.
Paul suggested that the committee ask Morens if he wanted to supplement his testimony now that Fauci has spoken and denied the claims about doing business via his personal email.
Fauci acknowledged that it was “conceivable” that he communicated with Morens via private email to co-author “medical-scientific chapters,” but refuted official business claims.
Paul argued that Fauci essentially called Morens a liar and that there is a real question as to whether Morens would “correct the facts.”
Paul said he has asked the National Institutes of Health (NIH) questions that have yet to be revealed. Three years later, he still doesn't have answers to his questions, Paul said.
“In fact, it is my conclusion that the NIH is actually more secretive than the CIA and that is… alarming and disturbing and should not be tolerated,” he said.
