Unveiling Morens: An Exposé of Transparency Evasion and Possible Deception

In our fight for transparency and accountability in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is essential that we scrutinize not only the decisions that were made but also the individuals behind them. Today, we'll turn the spotlight onto one such individual - Dr. David Morens. This is a man who has been an associate of Dr. Anthony Fauci for over two decades, shaping policy decisions and publishing articles alongside him, most notably in the Cell magazine back in 2020.

Remember, this is the article where the authors (Fauci and Morens) implore:

Living in greater harmony with nature will require changes in human behavior as well as other radical changes that may take decades to achieve: rebuilding the infrastructures of human existence…

Since we cannot return to ancient times, can we at least use lessons from those times to bend modernity in a safer direction? These are questions to be answered by all societies and their leaders, philosophers, builders, and thinkers and those involved in appreciating and influencing the environmental determinants of human health.

Spookily echoing shades of the World Economic Forum:

The COVID-19 pandemic is yet another reminder, added to the rapidly growing archive of historical reminders, that in a human-dominated world, in which our human activities represent aggressive, damaging, and unbalanced interactions with nature, we will increasingly provoke new disease emergences. We remain at risk for the foreseeable future. COVID-19 is among the most vivid wake-up calls in over a century. It should force us to begin to think in earnest and collectively about living in more thoughtful and creative harmony with nature, even as we plan for nature’s inevitable, and always unexpected, surprises.

A recent article in The Intercept brings to light some disconcerting behavior by Morens, particularly concerning his communication practices during the pandemic. It appears that he was utilizing a personal email account, evidently in an attempt to sidestep the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and evade potential media scrutiny.

Email records obtained by congressional investigators reveal this unsettling pattern. Morens, a senior scientific adviser at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, wrote, “As you know, I try to always communicate on gmail because my NIH email is FOIA’d constantly…just send to any of my addresses, and I will delete anything I don’t want to see in the New York Times.”

Alarmingly, this action is in direct contradiction with the line below Morens' signature in his emails which urges, “IMPORTANT: For US-government related email, please also reply to my NIAID address.” This flagrant disregard for transparency is made all the more disconcerting by the fact that Morens has been a pivotal figure at NIH for 25 years.

Scott Amey, the general counsel at the nonpartisan Project on Government Oversight, stated that Morens’ conduct might violate agency regulations, and possibly even civil and criminal record retention laws. His behavior certainly raises serious questions and, as Amey suggests, warrants a thorough investigation.

Digging deeper into the email exchanges, it becomes evident that Morens and his correspondents, including Peter Daszak of EcoHealth Alliance, were vehement critics of the possibility that the Covid-19 virus could have emerged from a research accident in Wuhan, China. They passionately advocated for the natural origin theory.

In one particularly heated email exchange, Morens responded to Daszak's concerns about potential attacks on their theories and reputations, stating, “Do not rule out suing these assholes for slander.” These email exchanges paint a worrying picture of an entrenched scientific community, seemingly more focused on protecting their narrative than exploring all possible theories.

Rep. Brad Wenstrup, the chair of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, has taken notice of these concerning behaviors and sent a letter to Morens about the obtained documents. The letter pointedly highlights that Morens may have intentionally used his personal email to evade transparency, potentially deleted federal records, and disparaged fellow scientists in his official capacity.

Moreover, it was brought to attention that Morens had consulted “Tony” - likely Dr. Fauci - for approval to speak on the record about the origin of Covid. This suggests that Morens might have knowledge about Fauci wishing to influence the Covid-19 narrative without leaving his 'fingerprints'. This alarming revelation begs the question - What else might be hidden in the shadows of these policy decisions?

While the ethical implications of Morens’ behavior are worrying in their own right, it also raises a wider concern: the damage to public trust in government and agency culture. Delaney Marsco, the senior legal counsel for ethics at the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, summed it up perfectly when she said, “When you evade laws that are meant to make government more transparent and accountable, that is very bad.”

The revelations about Morens underscore the necessity for full transparency and rigorous investigation, not just for individual accountability but to restore public trust. We must persist in asking the tough questions and demanding full disclosure - not just for our present understanding, but for the future resilience of our public health policies. It is high time that the curtains were pulled back to reveal the truth.