Ex-Fauci Adviser Pleads Guilty to Concealing COVID Records

Dr. David Morens, a former senior adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci during the COVID-19 pandemic, pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Morens, who worked under Fauci at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was accused of concealing federal records related to coronavirus research. He was indicted in April for allegedly trying to hide email exchanges about that research by using his personal email instead of his government email.

"By pleading guilty today, Dr. Morens has taken responsibility for what he did, and he will continue to do so," his legal counsel, Tim Belevetz, told NPR in an email.

Morens has apologized in previous hearings for his handling of federal records.

The coronavirus research in question has drawn scrutiny from Sen. Rand Paul and other Republicans, who have claimed without proof that the virus that caused the pandemic came from a lab in China and have accused Fauci and Morens of covering that up. Both scientists have denied this. Many researchers agree the weight of available evidence suggests the virus emerged naturally.

Fauci, who led the United States' pandemic response, was not charged in connection with Morens. Earlier this month, Paul's Senate committee voted to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress after he invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer questions at a hearing. The Justice Department will decide whether to pursue criminal charges against him.

Some experts say the moves reflect a broader effort to undermine scientists in the United States. Jennifer Jones, who runs the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, declined to comment on the specifics of Morens' or Fauci's cases but said the Trump administration has targeted scientists in multiple ways. "Criminal prosecution of scientists is a classic authoritarian tactic," she told NPR.

Robert Fisher, a Boston attorney not involved in the case, said the government's charges against Morens appear solid. "When you're a government official, you swear an oath, you're working for a federal agency, you're just held to a higher standard," he said.

Morens, 78, faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced in November.