2026年4月28日美国东部时间上午9:47 / 福克斯新闻
检察官称，大卫·莫伦斯据称收受了一名合作者赠送的葡萄酒和高端餐食等礼物
撰稿：布拉德福德·贝茨 福克斯新闻
前福西顾问将邮件斥为“玩笑”， amid 重磅新冠掩盖指控
《巾帼争锋》栏目组就大卫·莫伦斯的证词发表了看法，议员们指责他隐瞒了与新冠病毒相关的关键信息。
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美国司法部指控安东尼·福奇博士的长期高级顾问利用私人电子邮件躲避公众对新冠病毒相关沟通的审查，同时协助塑造病毒起源的说法。
根据周二公开的司法部起诉书，现年78岁的戴维·M·莫伦斯曾在美国国家过敏和传染病研究所（NIAID）担任多年高级顾问，他被起诉并指控利用个人电子邮箱规避联邦透明度法律，躲避《信息自由法》（FOIA）请求下的关键讨论。
检察官指控，莫伦斯在疫情期间与他人合谋隐瞒与一项有争议的冠状病毒研究资助相关的通讯，该资助涉及与中国武汉病毒研究所的合作。该资助后来因外界审视新冠病毒是否起源于实验室泄漏而被终止。
起诉书指控，莫伦斯及其同伙故意将对话从官方政府系统转移到私人电子邮箱，以避免公开披露。这些通讯据称包括关于新冠研究的内部讨论、影响资助决策的努力，以及与病毒起源相关的信息传递往来。
福奇在华盛顿大学担任“杰出教授”却从未上过一堂课：报道
戴维·莫伦斯博士在国会作证时提到了最近公开的他与一名非政府组织主席之间的邮件往来，该组织曾为中国武汉的新冠研究获得联邦资助。（众议院监督委员会）
起诉书还指控，莫伦斯在幕后向机构高级领导层传递信息，后者在疫情期间向白宫、国会和公众进行了通报。
联邦检察官还称，莫伦斯收受了一名合作者的礼物——包括葡萄酒和高端餐食邀约——随后通过发表支持新冠病毒自然起源而非源自武汉实验室的科学论文，为这些额外福利找借口。
前美国国家过敏和传染病研究所所长安东尼·福奇博士，2024年6月3日在华盛顿特区雷伯恩众议院办公楼出席众议院监督与问责委员会新冠疫情调查专门小组委员会听证会作证。（奇普·索莫德维拉/盖蒂图片社）
莫伦斯未立即回应福克斯新闻数字频道的置评请求。美国国立卫生研究院的一名发言人也未立即回应置评请求。
2021年2月3日，中国武汉，世界卫生组织考察团访问期间，安保人员在武汉病毒研究所入口附近集结。2023年3月20日，乔·拜登总统签署两党法案，指示国家情报总监办公室解密与该研究所相关的情报，理由是该研究所与2020年3月11日被宣布为大流行病的新冠疫情存在潜在关联。（吴汉冠/美联社）
莫伦斯此前曾因疫情期间的通讯邮件遭到众议院议员的审查。在国会作证期间，他表示对某些信息的语气感到后悔，并将部分言论描述为“黑色幽默”。
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指控包括共谋、销毁和隐瞒联邦记录及相关罪行。如果罪名成立，莫伦斯将面临数十年监禁。
这起案件可能会加剧外界对联邦卫生官员在疫情期间如何处理关键问题的审视，尤其是围绕病毒起源的辩论。
布拉德福德·贝茨是福克斯新闻数字频道突发新闻记者，报道犯罪、政治等诸多领域。
Ex-Fauci top advisor indicted over alleged COVID cover-up, hidden emails
April 28, 2026 9:47am EDT / Fox News
David Morens allegedly received gifts including wine and high-end meals from a collaborator, prosecutors say
By Bradford Betz Fox News
Former Fauci advisor brushes off emails as ‘jokes’ amid bombshell COVID cover-up accusations
The ‘Outnumbered’ panel discussed their reaction to David Morens’ testimony as lawmakers accuse him of covering up critical information related to COVID-19.
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The Justice Department is accusing a longtime senior advisor to Dr. Anthony Fauci of using his private email to hide communication about the COVID-19 virus from public view while helping to shape the narrative about its origins.
David M. Morens, 78, who served for years as a top advisor within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), was indicted and is accused of using his personal email account to evade federal transparency laws and shield key discussions from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, according to a DOJ indictment unsealed Tuesday.
Prosecutors allege that Morens conspired with others during the pandemic to hide communications related to a controversial coronavirus research grant that involved collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. The grant was later terminated amid scrutiny over whether COVID-19 may have originated from a lab leak.
The indictment alleges that Morens and his associates deliberately moved conversations off official government systems and onto private email accounts to keep them from public disclosure. The communications allegedly included internal discussions about COVID research, efforts to influence funding decisions, and exchanges related to messaging on the virus’s origins.
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Dr. David Morens testified in Congress about recently released emails between Morens and an NGO president that received federal funding for COVID-19 research in Wuhan, China.(House Oversight Committee)
The indictment also alleges that Morens played a behind-the-scenes role in relaying information to senior agency leadership, who in turn briefed the White House, Congress and the public during the pandemic.
Federal prosecutors also claim that Morens received gifts from a collaborator — including wine and offers of high-end meals — and later took steps to justify those perks by contributing to a scientific publication supporting the theory that COVID-19 emerged naturally rather than from the Wuhan lab.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., on June 3, 2024.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Morens did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. A spokesperson for the National Institutes of Health also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Security personnel gather near the entrance of the Wuhan Institute of Virology during a World Health Organization team visit in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 3, 2021. President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill on March 20, 2023, directing the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to declassify intelligence related to the institute, citing potential links to the COVID-19 outbreak declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020.(Ng Han Guan/AP)
Morens previously faced scrutiny from House lawmakers over emails related to COVID-era communications. During congressional testimony, he said he regretted the tone of certain messages and described some remarks as “black humor.”
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The charges include conspiracy, destruction and concealment of federal records and related offenses. Morens faces decades in prison if convicted.
The case is likely to intensify scrutiny of how federal health officials handled key questions during the pandemic, particularly debates over the virus’s origins.
Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues,and much more.
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