Outgoing US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has accused former White House medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci of supporting research at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology that may have contributed to the COVID-19 outbreak.
She also alleged that Fauci influenced intelligence findings on the virus’s origins and misled Congress under oath.
On what she called her final day in office, Gabbard released a set of declassified documents and communications. She said the material sheds new light on Fauci’s role in the controversy.
Announcing the release, Gabbard said the documents include previously unseen communications that, according to her office, show Fauci’s involvement in funding coronavirus research in Wuhan and his communications with intelligence officials during the pandemic.
“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,” she added.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) alleged that Fauci, while leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), approved millions of dollars in funding for research involving bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. According to the ODNI, that research is now considered by many to be linked to the accidental lab leak theory that sparked the pandemic.
The office also claimed Fauci worked with “politicised career leadership” within the intelligence community to keep information about the virus’s origins and his role in the funding from becoming public.
Gabbard said “The COVID-19 pandemic caused tremendous hardship and pain for millions of our fellow Americans and for countless people around the world. After years of lies, censorship, and cover ups, the American people deserve transparency, truth, and accountability.”
She added, “The tactics used to hide the truth are straight from the deep state playbook: politicised 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.”
The ODNI said the documents were uncovered during a year-long declassification review carried out as part of President Trump’s transparency efforts. The office also cited testimony from intelligence whistleblowers who claimed they faced retaliation for questioning official conclusions about the virus’s origins.
The release also alleged that Fauci maintained close contact with intelligence agencies throughout the pandemic. It claimed he served several roles at once, including researcher, adviser and public spokesperson.
According to the ODNI, scientists funded through NIAID helped shape intelligence assessments, which were later used publicly to challenge the lab-leak theory. The office described this as a “self-serving circular reporting loop.”
The ODNI further claimed that some of the newly released correspondence conflicts with Fauci’s testimony before a House committee investigating the pandemic in 2024.
The office said Fauci was asked whether he had communicated with intelligence agencies about viral research related to COVID-19. According to the release, he replied that he had no knowledge of such communications.
The documents also include whistleblower accounts alleging that intelligence analysts who supported the lab-leak theory faced professional setbacks, exclusion from key discussions and workplace pressure.
Former President Joe Biden granted Fauci a pre-emptive pardon during his final hours in office in January 2025.
At the time, Biden said “These are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing. Baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety and financial security of targeted individuals and their families.”
He stressed that the pardon should not be seen as proof of wrongdoing, adding that “The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense.”
Fauci served as America’s leading infectious disease expert for nearly 40 years. During and after the pandemic, he became a frequent target of criticism from many conservative political figures.
In January 2025, President Trump ended the government-funded security protection Fauci had received through the National Institutes of Health. Trump said such protection cannot continue indefinitely after someone leaves public service.
Fauci has previously said that threats directed at him and his family were fuelled by conspiracy theories surrounding COVID-19’s origins. The latest disclosures came shortly after another declassification effort announced by Gabbard on June 12. In that release, the ODNI claimed the US government had funded more than 120 biological laboratories in over 30 countries, including facilities in Ukraine.
The agency said some of these labs conducted research involving dangerous pathogens and, in certain cases, gain-of-function studies. It also alleged that details about the laboratories and their funding had not been fully disclosed to the public.
Gabbard claimed that officials, health experts and members of the Biden administration misled the public about US-backed biological research programmes and targeted those who questioned official narratives.
Gabbard informed President Trump that she would step down to support her husband, Abraham Williams, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. She said she needed to leave public office to focus on helping her husband through his treatment and recovery.
Her resignation is set to take effect on June 30. After her departure, Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, will serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence.
