On her final day as Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard made one of the most explosive announcements of her tenure, releasing what she described as never-before-seen classified documents and communications alleging that Anthony Fauci funded dangerous gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, manipulated intelligence assessments on COVID-19's origins and lied to Congress while under oath in 2024.

"Today, on my final day as Director of National Intelligence, I'm releasing never-before-seen communications and documents exposing how Dr. Fauci provided millions in US taxpayer dollars to fund dangerous gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab, worked with politicized elements within the Intelligence Community to suppress the truth about his actions and hide the virus' lab-leak origins, and lied to Congress while under oath in 2024. It's time you know the truth," Gabbard said in a post on X, accompanied by a video statement.

Three roles, one cover-up

The materials released by Gabbard, the result of a yearlong declassification review conducted under President Trump's maximum transparency mandate, allege that Fauci's close relationships within the intelligence community allowed him to play three overlapping roles that shielded him from scrutiny.

First, as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fauci allegedly directed millions in US taxpayer dollars toward dangerous gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology — research that Gabbard said is "now widely viewed as the source of the unintentional lab leak that sparked the pandemic."

Second, according to the released documents, Fauci acted as a behind-the-scenes adviser who, alongside hand-picked experts, pushed the intelligence community to endorse a natural, animal-origin narrative for the virus — effectively steering official assessments away from the lab-leak hypothesis and away from scrutiny of his own funding decisions.

Third, he allegedly became the country's dominant pandemic voice, using his public platform to push what Gabbard characterised as "lies, disinformation, and censorship."

A circular reporting loop

According to hundreds of emails reviewed as part of the declassification process, the intelligence community almost always incorporated Fauci's recommendations. The documents allege he promoted a fraudulent paper, whose publication he helped facilitate, as legitimate information for intelligence community consideration. Senior analysts, the documents claim, praised Fauci not as a policymaker but as what they called "an unbiased guide to the real coronavirus experts," while deliberately excluding dissenting scientists.

The result, Gabbard alleged, was a self-serving circular loop: Fauci provided hand-picked NIAID-funded scientists to advise the intelligence community, their input shaped official assessments, and those assessments were then publicly cited as scientific consensus to counter the lab-leak theory.

Lying to Congress

The most legally serious allegation in Gabbard's release concerns Fauci's 2024 testimony before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. Under oath, Fauci was repeatedly asked whether he had ever spoken with the FBI, CIA, DIA or any US intelligence agency about viral research before, during or after the pandemic. After repeatedly deflecting the questions, he stated, according to the official record, "not to my knowledge about COVID."

Gabbard said the documents released on Thursday directly contradict that sworn testimony, alleging that Fauci had in fact been in regular communication with intelligence officials about exactly these matters.

Whistleblowers who paid a price

The declassification review also gathered testimony from multiple intelligence community whistleblowers who reported retaliation for challenging the official narrative on COVID-19's origins. Gabbard said she has referred their accounts to the Intelligence Community's Inspector General.

The whistleblower accounts describe a culture of intimidation. A contractor was reportedly terminated just days after coming forward to the ODNI. Analysts who advocated for the lab-leak hypothesis were told by managers that leadership would control promotions — the message being unambiguous: dissent would end careers. Senior leaders allegedly removed anonymity protections from the whistleblower complaint process and insisted that managers or attorneys be present at ODNI meetings, creating what Gabbard described as "an atmosphere of intimidation."

Gabbard's closing statement

"The COVID-19 pandemic caused tremendous hardship and pain for millions of our fellow Americans and for countless people around the world," Gabbard said. "After years of lies, censorship, and cover ups, the American people deserve transparency, truth, and accountability. The tactics used to hide the truth are straight from the deep state playbook: politicized self-serving leaders like Dr. Fauci covered up their own wrongdoing and abuses of power, manipulated intelligence, lied to Congress, and undermined a duly elected President by restricting his access to vital facts needed to keep the country safe. It's time the American people learn the real story."

Fauci has not publicly responded to the release. The documents are available through the ODNI's official release portal.

Published on: Jun 19, 2026 9:58 AM IST