WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House has updated its official COVID-19 origins webpage with documents supporting the consensus that the virus may have originated from a laboratory leak in Wuhan, China, marking a significant shift in tone from earlier federal government messaging.
The documents, drawn from the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, spotlight a range of findings and testimonies alleging procedural failures, government obstruction, and misuse of federal funding tied to gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). Among the materials is renewed criticism of the widely cited 2020 study “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2,” which was used to bolster the natural origin theory.
The subcommittee asserts that Dr. Anthony Fauci played a key role in encouraging that publication to promote the zoonotic origin narrative. According to the report, “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2” was used “to push the preferred narrative that COVID-19 originated naturally.”
The newly released material reiterates claims that multiple WIV researchers exhibited COVID-like symptoms in late 2019 and details concerns about inadequate safety protocols during gain-of-function experiments. It also cites intelligence indicating a single point of introduction for SARS-CoV-2 into humans, a feature inconsistent with natural zoonotic spread.
One section highlights EcoHealth Alliance’s role in channeling U.S. taxpayer dollars into research in Wuhan, accusing its president, Dr. Peter Daszak, of obstructing congressional oversight and modifying documents prior to public release. The Department of Health and Human Services has since initiated debarment proceedings and suspended EcoHealth’s federal funding.
NIH and HHS under scrutiny for oversight and obstruction
The report calls out the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for systemic failures in monitoring dangerous virological research. It accuses senior NIH staff, including Dr. David Morens, of deleting federal records and bypassing legal requirements for information retention. The Department of Justice has reportedly opened an investigation into EcoHealth’s conduct during the pandemic.
The Department of Health and Human Services is also accused of intentionally under-resourcing its legislative oversight response team, resulting in what the subcommittee describes as a multi-year campaign to delay and obstruct the investigation.
Public health directives issued early in the pandemic—including social distancing measures and mask mandates—are also criticized in the materials. In closed-door testimony, Dr. Fauci reportedly admitted the “6 feet apart” guidance “sort of just appeared,” fueling assertions that key policies were implemented without scientific basis.
Key Points
- White House COVID-19 page now includes documents supporting lab leak origin theory
- Subcommittee accuses EcoHealth Alliance and NIH officials of obstructing investigations and mishandling research funds
- Fauci-backed publication used to discredit lab leak theory called into question by new congressional findings
Additionally, the documents target New York state’s pandemic response, claiming former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s policy to admit COVID-19 patients into nursing homes amounted to “medical malpractice.” It further accuses state officials of withholding thousands of documents in response to oversight inquiries.
The World Health Organization also comes under fire in the updated materials for allegedly deferring to China’s political interests during the early stages of the pandemic and for pursuing a global pandemic treaty that may conflict with U.S. sovereignty.
The Biden administration has not publicly commented on the inclusion of the documents on the COVID-19 government page.