House COVID committee calling for criminal probe into gain-of-function virus research in Wuhan
EcoHealth Alliance President Dr. Peter Daszak appeared before the subcommittee on Wednesday to testify on the work of his organization before and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic is calling for a criminal probe into the origins of the COVID-19 virus.
The demands for an investigation come after the release of an interim staff report accusing EcoHealth Alliance President Dr. Peter Daszak of funding "dangerous gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, without sufficient oversight."
"Overwhelming primary source documents and credible firsthand testimony gathered throughout the Select Subcommittee’s investigation provide significant evidence that Dr. Daszak repeatedly violated the terms of the NIH grant awarded to EcoHealth," a Wednesday statement from the Committee on Oversight and Accountability reads.
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It continues, "Given Dr. Daszak’s apparent contempt for the American people and disregard for legal reporting requirements the Select Subcommittee recommends the formal debarment of and a criminal investigation into EcoHealth and its President."
EcoHealth Alliance is a non-governmental organization based in the United States and focused on researching pandemic prevention.
According to congressional lawmakers, EcoHealth used taxpayer dollars "to fund dangerous gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV)" in China.
The NGO disputes that claim.
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"EcoHealth Alliance did not support ‘gain-of-function’ research at WIV, nor were any policies violated. Any assertions to the contrary are based either on misinterpretation, or willful misrepresentation of the actual research conducted," EcoHealth Alliance told Fox News Digital in a statement.
The NGO added, "Despite the SSCP’s contention that EHA did gain-of-function research, the NIH itself disagrees, as confirmed by NIH on July 7, 2016, in a letter to EcoHealth Alliance made public via Freedom of Information Act requests stating "NIAID is in agreement that the work proposed … is not subject to the [gain-of-function] research funding pause."
Daszak publicly testified Wednesday before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
"The public nature of our work and our long standing collaborations with Chinese scientists have made us a target for misinformation about the origins of COVID," Daszak told committee members at the Wednesday hearing. "Beginning in early 2020 and continuing to this day, we have repeatedly and refuted the many myths and false allegations about EcoHealth Alliance research."
"However, at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic seemed out of control and emotions were running high, our organization and our staff and even my own family were targeted with false allegations, death threats, break-ins, media harassment and other damaging acts," he continued. "Our organization has gone to great lengths to address any allegations head on, checking our records and stating the facts publicly."
Fox News Digital previously reported that EcoHealth Alliance received millions of dollars in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). U.S. taxpayer funds flowed to Chinese entities conducting coronavirus research through EcoHealth Alliance.
Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
