BALTIMORE — A Maryland Eastern Shore man, who formerly served as senior advisor to Dr. Anthony Fauci at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been federally indicted.
David M. Morens, 78 of Chester, is accused of taking part in a scheme to suppress alternative theories regarding the origins of coronavirus.
In doing so, Morens allegedly hid departmental emails in his personal Gmail account to evade Freedom of Information Act requests in exchange for gifts such as wine and future meals at Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris, New York, and Washington, D.C.
“Circumventing records protocols with the intention of avoiding transparency is something that will not be tolerated by this FBI,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Not only did Morens allegedly engage in the illegal obfuscation of his communications, but he received kickbacks for doing so. If you have engaged in activity conspiring against the United States, we will not stop until you face justice.”
According to the indictment filed in Maryland District Court, Morens worked with at least two co-conspirators, one of which received a federal grant that was later terminated.
Morens reportedly pledged to get the grant restored by countering a narrative that COVID-19 leaked from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology.
“These allegations represent a profound abuse of trust at a time when the American people needed it most—during the height of a global pandemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche. "Government officials have a solemn duty to provide honest, well-grounded facts and advice in service of the public interest—not to advance their own personal or ideological agendas."
Thanks to @USAO_MD Kelly Hayes and her team for their outstanding work on this important case. A Grand Jury returned an indictment against Dr. David Morens, a former senior official at NIAID, for allegedly conspiring to conceal federal records, evade Freedom of Information Act… https://t.co/S4haCYijxG
— Acting AG Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) April 28, 2026
If convicted, Morens faces up to five years in prison for conspiracy against the United States, 20 years for each count of destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations, and three years for each count of concealment, removal, or mutilation of records.
