HHS Suspends Funding, Proposes Debarment of Peter Daszak's EcoHealth Alliance for COVID-19 Research Violations
"EcoHealth Alliance and Dr. Peter Daszak should never again receive a single penny from the U.S. taxpayer," says U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic chairman.
In a significant development, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Wednesday accepted the recommendation of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic to formally debar EcoHealth Alliance, Inc. (EcoHealth).
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The decision comes in the wake of a detailed report by the Select Subcommittee that highlighted multiple violations and questionable activities by EcoHealth.
HHS will initiate official debarment proceedings and implement an immediate government-wide suspension of U.S. taxpayer funds to EcoHealth, affecting all active grants.
The move aims to prevent EcoHealth and its president, Dr. Peter Daszak, from receiving any further U.S. funding.
Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), expressed strong approval of HHS’s actions.
“EcoHealth Alliance and Dr. Peter Daszak should never again receive a single penny from the U.S. taxpayer,” Rep. Wenstrup stated.
The report, released two weeks prior to the announcement, accused EcoHealth of facilitating gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China without proper oversight, violating multiple requirements of its multimillion-dollar National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant, and allegedly making false statements to the NIH.
In February 2023, the U.S. Energy Department concluded that the COVID pandemic most likely arose from a laboratory leak at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has likewise confirmed that the COVID pandemic was probably the result of a lab accident in Wuhan.
“Only two weeks after the Select Subcommittee released an extensive report detailing EcoHealth’s wrongdoing and recommending the formal debarment of EcoHealth and its president, HHS has begun efforts to cut off all U.S. funding to this corrupt organization,” Winstup explained.
“EcoHealth facilitated gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China without proper oversight, willingly violated multiple requirements of its multimillion-dollar National Institutes of Health grant, and apparently made false statements to the NIH.”
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The committee chairman emphasized the gravity of EcoHealth’s actions.
“These actions are wholly abhorrent, indefensible, and must be addressed with swift action,” Wenstrup asserted. “EcoHealth’s immediate funding suspension and future debarment is not only a victory for the U.S. taxpayer, but also for American national security and the safety of citizens worldwide.”
Wenstrup highlighted that Dr. Daszak and his team are still obligated to provide all outstanding documents and respond to the Select Subcommittee’s inquiries, particularly concerning potential dishonesty under oath.
“We will hold EcoHealth accountable for any waste, fraud, and abuse and are committed to uncovering any illegal activity, including lying to Congress, NIH, or the Inspector General,” Wenstrup affirmed.
The suspension and proposed debarment of EcoHealth Alliance mark a significant step in the efforts to ensure accountability and transparency in the use of U.S. taxpayer funds, especially in the context of research with far-reaching implications for public health and safety.
You can read the Select Subcommittee’s report here, today’s letter from HHS to EcoHealth Alliance here, and HHS’s action referral memorandum here.
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While this a good news he is just a small fish in the corruption and murder that has taken place. Either Peter will be paid off handsomely to keep his mouth shut or he will sing like a Canary or he will have a convenient heart attack
I'm sure sources of funding will be found regardless. They haven't had (transparent) funding since July 2020. I remember when my liberal former friends spouted sophistry they heard on NPR and read in the NYTimes about the scientists who had absolute proof the virus came from the wet market. I looked the scientists up and found they all worked for Peter Daszak and EcoHealth Alliance. It wasn't really hard to do your own research.