Witness testified that CIA bribed six COVID-19 team analysts to change their positions and oppose the possibility that the virus came from a lab in Wuhan, China
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington-based think tank, is suing the CIA, accusing it of refusing to hand over documents related to its investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Daily Caller, also a conservative website.
The think tank Oversight Project filed a federal lawsuit against the CIA on December 22, alleging that the agency failed to comply with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). According to the lawsuit, the CIA refused to hand over documents to the team tasked with investigating the theory that the coronavirus leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China.
As the text of the lawsuit states, "members of the CIA's COVID Discovery Team, a group of employees tasked with analyzing the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, received financial incentives in order to change their position on the origin of the virus."
In its original request, Heritage sought documents from the creation of the research team as well as all documents studied by team members related to the origins of COVID-19. In addition, he demanded documents related to financial bonuses and communications between team members and officials of other federal government agencies. According to the lawsuit, the court should compel the CIA to produce all documents based on Heritage's previous FOIA request and cover its costs.
In September, a public interest witness appeared before the House Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis alleging that the CIA bribed six analysts on the COVID-19 team to change their positions and oppose the possibility that the virus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China.
On September 12, Republican Congressmen Rand Paul, Lindsey Graham, Rick Scott, and Ron Johnson sent a letter to CIA Director William Burns requesting information about the whistleblower's allegations.
Reports by the FBI and the US Department of Energy have concluded that COVID-19 likely originated in a laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology where bat coronaviruses were being researched.
The subcommittee released a report in July accusing former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director Anthony Fauci of hushing up the theory of a leak from a lab in Wuhan, China.
New evidence released in March by the subcommittee shows Fauci commissioned research designed to discredit proponents of the leak theory. The CIA also brought Fauci into its headquarters to "influence" its investigation into that theory, without keeping records of his entry, the subcommittee alleged in September.
Fauci is scheduled to testify before the committee in January.
SOURCE: Daily Caller, ERT