Fauci advisor bragged about avoiding public records law, documents show

WASHINGTON (TND) — New documents acquired by the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic show a senior member of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s staff bragged about avoiding public record laws.

The Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, is a law which requires agencies funded by taxpayer dollars to disclose internal records upon request. Journalists often take advantage of the FOIA to inform the public about how their money is being used.

Internal emails from the National Institute of Health show David Morens, Fauci’s senior advisor, may have been working to shield certain communications from being accessible through FOIA requests.

One email refers to a “private gmail” supposedly used by Fauci. Morens also referred others to a “secret back channel” for communicating about certain issues. He also frequently directed others to message him on his personal Gmail account to avoid FOIA requests.

Morens also noted he had “learned from our foia lady here how to make emails disappear after I am foia’d.” That individual, who he identified as Marg Moore, “also hates FOIAs.”

The emails also reveal Morens made a series of crude comments about women, female coworkers and his drinking habits which indicate he “is not qualified to hold a position of public trust,” the committee wrote.

Morens testified to the subcommittee Wednesday that he didn't remember if he used a personal email to conduct government business, but conceded it was "wrong" if he did so.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has frequently butted heads with Fauci, condemned Morens’s actions Wednesday.

“It's a felony to destroy records,” he wrote via X. “It's a felony to destroy evidence. Without question, Morens has admitted in his emails that he was destroying evidence. David Morens is Anthony Fauci's Michael Cohen, he's the fixer.”

In a statement to The National Desk, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said the department "doesn’t comment on personnel matters."

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