America First Legal (AFL) has formally requested that the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the Office of the Special Counsel (OSC) initiate investigations into the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) and Drs. Anthony Fauci and David Morens. The former Director and advisor of NIAID, respectively, are alleged to have violated the Federal Records Act and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
In May, AFL called for a comprehensive federal investigation into Dr. David Morens, senior advisor to Dr. Fauci, for allegedly using a personal email address to circumvent FOIA requests. According to AFL, this could have led to the unlawful removal of government records involving other agency leaders such as Dr. Fauci.
The OSC is authorized to investigate arbitrary withholding of information by NIAID, while the HHS OIG can probe Federal Records Act violations within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Any evidence found must be reported promptly to the Attorney General.
Dan Epstein, Vice President of America First Legal, stated: "AFL’s requests supplement the Oversight Committee’s work and help determine whether Dr. Fauci evaded government transparency and records preservation requirements. The numerous examples of FOIA and records law violations by the current administration would be merely regrettable but for the woeful irony of lawfare against the former President for alleged records violations. Accountability and fairness are therefore key."