By SUZANNE DOWNING
June 19, 2026 – On her final day as Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard released hundreds of pages of newly declassified documents alleging that Dr. Anthony Fauci played a central role in shaping intelligence assessments about the origins of Covid-19 and misled Congress about his involvement in discussions with US intelligence agencies.
The June 18 release from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is one of the most aggressive government statements to date supporting the theory that Covid-19 originated from a laboratory incident involving research conducted at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Gabbard accused Fauci of funding dangerous coronavirus research through grants that flowed from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to EcoHealth Alliance and ultimately to the Wuhan laboratory. The release further alleges that Fauci worked with sympathetic officials inside the intelligence community to steer assessments away from the lab-leak theory and toward a natural-origin explanation.
“The American people deserve transparency, truth, and accountability,” Gabbard said in the release, adding that years of “lies, censorship, and cover-ups” obscured the true origins of the pandemic.
The documents, according to ODNI, include emails, intelligence communications, whistleblower testimony, and internal assessments gathered during a yearlong declassification review ordered under President Trump’s transparency initiative.
Among the most significant allegations is that Fauci’s public statements and recommendations influenced intelligence community conclusions regarding Covid-19’s origins. The release says Fauci supplied “hand-picked” experts whose views were incorporated into official intelligence products, creating what ODNI described as a self-reinforcing cycle in which intelligence assessments and public scientific narratives supported one another.
ODNI also claims the newly released correspondence contradicts Fauci’s 2024 testimony before a House congressional panel. During that testimony, Fauci denied knowledge of discussions with intelligence agencies concerning viral research related to Covid-19. Gabbard’s office says the documents show otherwise.
The release further includes allegations from intelligence community whistleblowers who reported retaliation against analysts who favored the lab-leak hypothesis. According to ODNI, some analysts were marginalized, discouraged from pursuing certain lines of inquiry, or warned that dissenting views could affect their careers. Gabbard said those whistleblower accounts have been referred to the Intelligence Community Inspector General.
The documents arrive amid growing support for the lab-leak theory among some federal agencies and congressional investigators. The FBI and Department of Energy have previously concluded that a laboratory incident is the most likely explanation for the pandemic’s origin, although both assessments were issued with varying levels of confidence. Other intelligence agencies have continued to favor a natural spillover event or remain undecided. No government agency has publicly produced definitive proof establishing either theory.
Likewise, the broader scientific debate remains unresolved. While evidence has emerged supporting the possibility of a laboratory accident, some scientists continue to argue that a natural origin remains plausible. No publicly available evidence has conclusively settled the question.
Fauci has long acknowledged that NIH-funded grants supported coronavirus research conducted through EcoHealth Alliance and involving the Wuhan Institute of Virology. However, he has consistently disputed claims that the work constituted gain-of-function research as defined by US policy at the time or that it directly caused the pandemic. Congressional hearings over the past several years have repeatedly centered on disagreements over those definitions, oversight procedures, and reporting requirements.
The timing of the release is notable. Gabbard stepped down from her position this week, citing family considerations, due to her husband’s health condition. The declassification package follows other transparency initiatives undertaken during her tenure, including the release of information related to US-funded biological laboratories overseas.
