The congressional panel investigating the COVID-19 pandemic is requesting access to Dr. Anthony Fauci’s personal email account after new evidence revealed it may have been used to avoid Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The panel is led by Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, the chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic and made the request in a letter on Wednesday, May 29. 

Wenstrup asked Fauci for any documents and communications related to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Eco Health Alliance and origins of COVID-19 that may be found on Fauci’s personal email, cellphone or other personal electronic devices.

Wenstrup sent the letter after the committee discovered emails from Fauci’s senior adviser at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. David Morens.  

“I forgot to say there is no worry about FOIA’s,” the email said. “I can either send stuff to Tony on his private gmail, or hand it to him at work … He is too smart to let colleagues send him stuff that could cause trouble.”

Another email from Morens to employees at Boston University and Eco Health Alliance said: “I suggested Arthur try to interview Tony directly and connected him to our ‘secret’ back channel.” 

Those emails do not align with testimony Morens gave to the committee on May 22. 

Wenstrup: “Did you ever send information related to COVID-19 to Dr. Fauci’s personal email?”

Morens: “I don’t remember if I did. I may have.”

Morens also said there was no secret back channel and calling it that was a joke. 

“Well all these terms like secret back channel and the other one you mentioned were just jokes,” Morens stated. “Just, you know, jokes that I made in dealing with Peter because he was under death threats and very depressed. 

Because this is a request and not a subpoena, Fauci could decline to share the emails. Regardless, Fauci will certainly be asked about this on June 3, when he’s scheduled to testify publicly.