Former NIAID Senior Adviser David Morens Pleads Guilty to Federal Conspiracy Charges
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington DC, In a major federal prosecution, David M. Morens, 78, a former senior adviser to the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has pled guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit offenses and to defraud the United States.
Announced by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland alongside officials from the FBI Baltimore Field Office and HHS-OIG, the plea centers on an intentional scheme to evade the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and hide government communications regarding bat coronavirus research grants.
Key Highlights of the Guilty Plea
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FOIA & Records Evasion: Morens admitted to using a personal Gmail account rather than his official NIH email to discuss sensitive matters—including COVID-19 origins and a revoked EcoHealth Alliance bat coronavirus grant—specifically to shield records from public FOIA requests and Federal Records Act requirements.
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Unofficial Back-Channels: The co-conspirators exchanged non-public NIH information, drafted letters to influence NIH leadership, and established back-channels to senior NIAID officials off official government systems.
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Illegal Gratuities: Morens acknowledged a related illegal-gratuities scheme involving gifts, including wine delivered to his Maryland residence for his “behind-the-scenes shenanigans.” In return, Morens agreed to write a scientific commentary for a prominent medical journal advocating that COVID-19 had natural origins.
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Potential Penalties: Morens faces up to five years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district judge based on statutory factors and U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Background on the Terminated Bat Coronavirus Grant
The scheme unfolded after the National Institutes of Health (NIH) terminated funding for the grant “Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence”, which included subawards linked to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China. Following the termination, Morens and his co-conspirators pledged to help restore the grant and counter the narrative that COVID-19 originated from a laboratory leak.
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Tags: #DavidMorens #NIAID #NIH #COVID19 #JusticeDepartment #BreakingNews #FOIA
