Fauci, who ran the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for four decades before retiring in 2022, faced heated questions from Republicans on the House subcommittee investigating the nation’s coronavirus response.
The panel has been investigating the origins of the virus, but lately has been focusing on Fauci’s role. The 83-year-old immunologist began drawing the ire of conservatives when he would publicly contradict former President Trump in 2020.
Fauci became the public face of the pandemic during both the Trump and Biden administrations, though Monday marked his first time testifying about COVID-19 in front of a GOP-led panel.
He said it was “simply preposterous” to claim he tried to influence the research conducted by leading scientists into the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus or that he pressured them to downplay the possibility it came from a Chinese lab.
Fauci has long said publicly he has an open mind about whether the virus developed naturally or leaked from a lab, but he maintains there is stronger evidence for natural origins.
“The accusation being circulated that I influenced the scientists to change their minds by bribing them with millions of dollars in grant money is absolutely false, and simply preposterous,” Fauci said.
He also explained that the idea of a lab leak isn’t by itself a conspiracy theory.
“What is conspiracy is the kind of distortion of that particular subject. Like it was a lab leak and I was parachuted into the CIA like Jason Bourne,” Fauci said.
Republicans also focused on Fauci’s relationship with EcoHealth Alliance, as well as agency deputies who deleted emails to seemingly evade federal public records laws. Fauci was quick to distance himself from David Morens, the senior advisor whose emails revealed the deception attempts.
“We have senior officials from your office, in their own writing, discussing breaking federal law, deleting official records and sharing private government information with grant recipients,” said subcommittee chairman Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio).
The subcommittee has found a surprising amount of bipartisan cooperation lately, but Monday’s hearing was divided among partisan lines from the start.
