Greenbelt, Maryland — A former senior adviser at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring to conceal federal records connected to COVID-19 research and government grants.
David Morens, 78, admitted using a personal Gmail account and other methods to keep communications outside government systems and evade Freedom of Information Act requests. Prosecutors said the conduct began in 2020 as scrutiny intensified over coronavirus research grants and the origins of the pandemic.
Morens worked in NIAID’s Office of the Director and served under longtime agency director Dr. Anthony Fauci. According to prosecutors, Morens also shared nonpublic government information with associates while helping coordinate efforts related to an EcoHealth Alliance grant involving bat coronavirus research.
Court records cited by The Hill say Morens received bottles of wine from an associate while engaging in what he called “behind-the-scenes shenanigans.” His guilty plea covers conspiracy to commit offenses and defraud the United States. He faces up to five years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for Nov. 12.
Fauci has not been charged in the case and previously said Morens was not an adviser on policy matters. The case grew from investigations into government transparency and pandemic-era research funding.
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