Tulsi Gabbard claims Anthony Fauci backed Wuhan research, suppressed COVID lab-leak evidence

Published 19 June 2026 · health

Outgoing US Director of Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has released a series of declassified documents and communications that she says reveal the role of former White

Outgoing US Director of Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has released a series of declassified documents and communications that she says reveal the role of former White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci in funding coronavirus research at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology, influencing intelligence assessments on the origins of COVID-19, and misleading Congress under oath. The disclosures were made on what Gabbard described as her final day in office. She said the documents were uncovered during a year-long declassification review conducted by the Office of the Director of Intelligence (ODNI). Gabbard: 'It's time you know the truth' Announcing the release, Gabbard alleged that Fauci directed millions of dollars in US taxpayer funding toward gain-of-function research involving bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan laboratory. "Today, on my final day as Director of 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." The ODNI claimed the newly released records contain communications between Fauci and intelligence officials regarding the origins of COVID-19 and the handling of information related to the pandemic. Allegations of intelligence manipulation According to Gabbard, the documents suggest that Fauci maintained close ties with intelligence officials and played multiple roles during the pandemic as a researcher, adviser, and public spokesperson. She alleged that scientists funded through the Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) helped shape intelligence assessments that were later used publicly to challenge the lab-leak theory. "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." The ODNI further claimed that intelligence whistleblowers reported facing retaliation, marginalisation, and career setbacks after supporting assessments that favoured the lab-leak hypothesis. Questions over Congressional testimony One of the central allegations concerns Fauci's testimony before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in 2024.