Dr. David Morens, a former senior adviser to infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland. Morens admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit offenses and defraud the United States by plotting to conceal federal records related to research on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Justice Department alleges that Morens intentionally circumvented public records laws by using his private email account to conceal or destroy records of discussions regarding COVID-19 research grants, including an effort to revive a controversial grant. Although Morens previously denied attempting to evade transparency laws during congressional testimony, he stated that he was trying to protect his boss.
Morens, 78, of Chester, Maryland, faces a maximum prison sentence of five years and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 12 by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis. The plea follows a probe by House Republicans into the origins of the pandemic that scrutinized Morens' email communications.
Dr. Anthony Fauci was not charged in the case. However, Fauci repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a congressional hearing in July regarding his handling of the pandemic. He also declined a request to appear voluntarily before a second Senate panel after majority Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee voted to hold him in contempt of Congress.