Fauci’s Records Under Scrutiny by House Oversight Committee

The House Oversight Committee is scrutinizing Dr. Anthony Fauci following a Senate hearing. The focus is on why Fauci’s COVID-19 diary and cellphone were not submitted to Congress until this year. The committee attributes this to former President Joe Biden’s health official.

In a recent correspondence, James Comer, Chairman of the committee, asked former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to provide records containing the terms “COVID-19,” “gain-of-function,” and “Wuhan.” These terms were reportedly present in Fauci’s diary. Comer accused Becerra of failing to include these records in the response to a 2023 document request.

“The Committee is concerned that you either intentionally withheld this information, or that you failed to conduct an adequate search of the Department’s systems,” Comer stated.

Current Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shared Fauci’s diary and cellphone with certain Senate investigators earlier this year. Critics of Fauci were particularly vocal about entries in the diary, accusing him of boasting about his role and celebrity status during the pandemic while Americans faced government-imposed restrictions.

More than 1,000 document pages were released, offering a glimpse into Fauci’s private thoughts as pandemic science evolved, and how he dealt with his emerging fame. One entry from 2020 revealed Fauci’s involvement in school closure decisions, mentioning a conversation with former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

During a Senate hearing, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment numerous times as he was questioned about the pandemic’s impact and diary revelations. Oversight now turns to Becerra, who is running for California governor. Comer has asked him to answer questions regarding his awareness of the diary and whether or not he was pressured by other Biden officials.

The inquiry follows the case of David Morens, a former advisor to Fauci, who pleaded guilty to concealing COVID-19 records. Fauci admitted it was inappropriate for Morens to alter a press release and that this action violated federal health policy.