WASHINGTON — David Morens, a former top National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases official, pleaded guilty Tuesday on charges related to concealing records from Freedom of Information Act requests.
Morens, a longtime senior adviser to former NIAID leader Anthony Fauci, said he had agreed, with at least one other individual, to knowingly avoid the public disclosure law and to use his influence to advance the interests of a particular company.
Morens directed one of the co-conspirators to keep their messages off government phones and email servers, adding he hoped to get the person “uber funded” in the future, according to court documents laying out the facts that the defendant and prosecutors agreed to. Through the relationship, Morens received wine and offers of future meals at high-end restaurants.
The initial indictment and plea documents do not name the two other individuals or the company, though one matches the description of EcoHealth Alliance’s then-president, Peter Daszak. EcoHealth was a non profit focused on infectious disease, which at one point funded research at a Chinese lab some have pointed to as the origin of the Covid-19 virus. Daszak has not been charged with any crime.
Morens’ offense could carry a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 12.
“By pleading guilty today, Dr. Morens has taken responsibility for what he did and will continue to do so,” Tim Belevetz, a partner with IceMiller who represents Morens, told STAT.
The plea comes amid a wave of Republican scrutiny of officials involved in the federal government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier this month, some Senate Republicans voted to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress after he invoked the Fifth Amendment instead of answering their questions.
Fauci was not directly named in Morens’ indictment. But Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has been leading the GOP investigations of Fauci, suggested it might add to the efforts to put the former NIAID chief behind bars.
“Long-time Fauci ally pleads guilty,” Paul posted on social media after the plea was announced. “Could his plea involve implicating Anthony Fauci?”