The Secret Investigation into EcoHealth Alliance

A secret grand jury investigation launched by the Department of Justice is probing a US nonprofit, EcoHealth Alliance, that directed millions in US taxpayer funds to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). Scientists suspect that this funding could be linked to gain-of-function research, which might have led to the COVID-19 lab leak. This revelation has surfaced due to a report released by a House committee. The committee found that EcoHealth Alliance violated the terms of its grant agreement with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and bypassed crucial biosafety protocols. Medical experts and former federal officials believe that the research funds could have contributed to a virus leak, but attempts to access records have been blocked. Internal emails show that a law firm advising EcoHealth Alliance told its president, Dr. Peter Daszak, to refrain from mentioning the DOJ investigation when responding to document requests. Emails also indicate that prosecutors requested genetic sequences and correspondence between Daszak and Dr. Shi Zhengli, a renowned virologist at the WIV known as the "bat lady. " The House committee discovered that Daszak admitted not asking Zhengli for viral sequences after the pandemic began. Additionally, repairing the loss of public trust caused by the COVID-19 response remains a priority, as highlighted by the committee's report.