Former Fauci Advisor David Morens Pleads Guilty in Record Evasion Scheme

David Morens, who previously served as an advisor to Dr. Anthony Fauci and a senior official at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), admitted guilt on charges related to evading records requests linked to COVID-19 research grants. The announcement came from FBI Director Kash Patel.

Patel shared details of the case stating, “After an FBI investigation with our DOJ partners, Dr. Fauci’s associate, David Morens, just pleaded guilty to conspiracy in a scheme to avoid FOIA requests and the Federal Records Act connected to COVID-19 research grants.” The post highlighted how Morens, alongside co-conspirators, plotted to defraud the United States.

The scheme, according to Patel, involved concealing communications from public scrutiny after the National Institutes of Health terminated a grant titled ‘Understanding the Risk of Bat coronavirus Emergence,’ over concerns that COVID-19 originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. Morens and his associates used his personal email instead of official channels to discuss their plans.

Morens was charged by the U.S. Department of Justice in April, facing counts of conspiracy, destruction and concealment of federal records, and associated offenses.

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic discovered emails showing Morens advising colleagues to bypass his official NIAID email account, opting for communication through his private address instead. Morens stated in an email, “This is sent from my Gmail account. Please send all replies here to Gmail… There are things I can’t say except [Senior NIAID official 1] is aware.” This demonstrated the efforts within the NIH to limit damage.

Additional emails revealed Morens discussing how a Fauci aide advised him to erase emails. He cited learning methods to delete correspondence to avoid FOIA requests. “I learned from your FOIA lady here… how to make emails disappear when I’m FOIA’ed,” he informed EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak.

This information came to light amid scrutiny over the role of EcoHealth Alliance’s federal grant in supporting gain-of-function research. Daszak was debarred from federal funding in 2025 over purported disclosures.

As Morens faces sentencing on November 12, he might encounter up to five years in prison. His attorney, Timothy Belevetz, remarked that Morens accepted responsibility for his actions and will continue to do so.

Efforts to reach Morens’ attorney, the DOJ, or the NIAID for additional comments were made by Fox News Digital.