EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak is set to testify publicly before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic next month. This comes after House Republicans raised concerns about discrepancies in Daszak's closed-door testimony in November. The committee chairs have requested that Daszak produce documents and records prior to his public hearing.
EcoHealth Alliance, which received millions of dollars in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), directed some of those funds to Chinese entities conducting coronavirus research. At least $600,000 was redirected to the Wuhan Institute of Virology for research on the transmission of bat coronaviruses to humans. Additionally, over $200,000 went to Wuhan University for disease surveillance research activities.
Former US government officials have stated that the funds were not approved for gain-of-function research, which involves modifying a virus to make it more infectious among humans. However, questions have arisen about Daszak's testimony regarding gain-of-function research at a University of North Carolina lab. A recent document obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request suggests that Daszak's testimony may have omitted a material fact.
The House Select Subcommittee is also questioning Daszak's testimony regarding biosafety levels used by the Wuhan Institute of Virology. It has been alleged that EcoHealth Alliance intended to follow weaker biosafety measures set by the Chinese government instead of US biosafety standards.
In preparation for his public testimony, Daszak has been asked to provide phone records and calendars, as well as documents and communications between EcoHealth Alliance and various government agencies. The committee is particularly interested in any meetings or phone calls between Daszak and entities in China.
The committee expects Daszak to turn over records of communications with the Wuhan Institute of Virology regarding the origins of COVID-19, as well as records of biosafety and lab standards. The goal is to determine whether US taxpayer dollars funneled to the Wuhan lab played a role in the pandemic.
Chairman Brad Wenstrup, who is leading the COVID Subcommittee, expressed concerns about Daszak's credibility and urged him to correct the record. Other committee members echoed these concerns and emphasized the importance of providing answers to the American people about the origins of COVID-19.
The US Energy Department and the FBI have both determined that COVID-19 likely originated from a lab leak in China. As the investigation continues, the public testimony from Peter Daszak will shed more light on the role of EcoHealth Alliance and its connection to the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
