politics
CIA Whistleblower Testifies Fauci Influenced Agency's COVID-19 Origins Assessment
James Erdman III told a Senate committee that Anthony Fauci steered intelligence analysts toward a natural origin conclusion for COVID-19 by recommending conflicted scientists. The hearing, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul, featured claims the CIA illegally monitored investigators and resisted document declassification.
May 13, 5:25 PM·3m read4 sources
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James Erdman III, a current CIA officer who previously led an investigation into COVID-19 origins for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that former top health official Anthony Fauci significantly influenced the intelligence community's early assessments.
Erdman stated that CIA analysts initially leaned toward a lab leak as the most likely explanation but shifted after Fauci suggested consulting specific scientists and public-health officials. He told senators under oath that Fauci's role was intentional and involved leveraging his position to curate a list of experts aligned with a natural origin view.
"Dr Fauci’s role in the cover-up was intentional," Erdman said. " — James Erdman III, May 13 2026 (Senate testimony) The hearing occurred on May 13, 2026, and was boycotted by all Democratic members. Fauci, who retired in 2022, did not attend. Sen.
Erdman testified that the CIA withheld records from investigators, retaliated against agency personnel who cooperated, and illegally monitored the phones and computers of members of the Director's Initiatives Group. He said resistance from the CIA and State Department has slowed the declassification of roughly 2,000 documents related to the pandemic's origins.
"The deep state still resists this congressional mandate," Paul said. The 2023 law requiring release of the intelligence community's findings prompted only a partially redacted nine-page summary under the prior administration. A spokesman then stated the agency assessed with low confidence that a research-related origin was more likely than a natural one, while continuing to view both scenarios as plausible.
" She said the committee acted in bad faith by subpoenaing Erdman without notifying the agency, despite having obtained his closed-door testimony previously. The spokeswoman added that the witness was responding to a subpoena rather than appearing voluntarily as a whistleblower.
