David Morens, a former advisor to Dr. Anthony Fauci and a senior official at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), pleaded guilty on August 19, 2026, to conspiring to evade records requests related to COVID-19 research grants. FBI Director Kash Patel announced the plea, stating that Morens and others conspired to defraud the United States after the National Institutes of Health (NIH) terminated a grant related to coronavirus research.
The terminated grant, titled 'Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence,' was linked to allegations that COVID-19 originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. Following the termination, Morens and his co-conspirators agreed to use personal email accounts to hide their communications from public scrutiny.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted Morens in April, charging him with conspiracy, destruction, and concealment of federal records. Emails obtained by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic revealed that Morens instructed colleagues to avoid using official NIAID email for sensitive communications. In one email, he indicated that he had learned how to delete emails before a FOIA request search began.
Morens faces a potential sentence of up to five years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for November 12. His attorney stated that Morens has taken responsibility for his actions. Fox News Digital has reached out to Morens' attorney, the DOJ, and NIAID for further comments.