Government Watchdog Claims CIA Isn’t Fully Cooperating on COVID-19 Investigation

WASHINGTON — A federal oversight agency has raised concerns that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is not fully engaging with the inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly regarding the possibility of a lab mishap.

In a letter from June, revealed by the Post, Inspector General for Intelligence Christopher Fox alleged that CIA Director John Ratcliffe has not provided critical documents that could shed light on claims of a “cover-up” involving the pandemic’s origins, which was discussed in recent government testimonies.

Furthermore, there’s an internal review underway to determine whether a team formed by then-Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, aimed at investigating evident intelligence shortfalls concerning COVID-19, faced any obstructions.

Fox had previously reached out to Ratcliffe about accusations that the monitoring of analysts’ communications and their interactions with whistleblowers was taking place. However, he expressed dissatisfaction with the responses received.

According to Fox, it’s troubling that Ratcliffe stated there was no evidence that the CIA was unlawfully tracking analysts linked to Gabbard’s task force called the Director’s Initiative Group.

Fox also asserted that the CIA is failing to abide by federal law, which necessitates coordination with the Intelligence Community’s Office of Inspector General when overseeing related issues.

The June 16 letter, sent to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, highlighted Fox’s concerns following some serious allegations raised by CIA officials in a prior Congressional hearing.

“Americans deserve a complete understanding of COVID-19’s origins and the intelligence community’s actions, especially regarding whether whistleblowers were unlawfully monitored,” Grassley mentioned to the Post.

“I value the Inspector General’s continued efforts. Nonetheless, it disturbs me greatly that parts of the intelligence community might be hindering those efforts to conduct a thorough review. Transparency is essential — the IC needs to be open with the American public.”

Fox’s correspondence indicated disagreements with Ratcliffe’s public remarks regarding COVID-19’s origins. Ratcliffe had previously called for increased transparency and was among the few officials to endorse the idea that the virus may have accidentally escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China, back in late 2019.

During a testimony on May 13, CIA special operations officer James Erdman III stated that improper influence had been exerted over the assessment of the origins of the coronavirus and mentioned that Gabbard had “unlawfully supervised” the analysts involved in the investigation.

As a consequence, the 2023 CIA assessment chose to remain neutral on the origins debate, even though many analysts believed in the lab leak theory.

“Six out of seven technical experts are still saying, ‘We think it’s a lab leak,'” Erdman pointed out, noting that these experts maintained their views despite shifts in management’s analysis approach.

During the Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing, Erdman remarked that Dr. Anthony Fauci and other leaders might have been involved in efforts to suppress evidence pointing towards a lab leak in China.

He claimed, “Dr. Fauci’s role in the cover-up was intentional,” alleging that he put forward a “contradictory list of experts” to sway intelligence assessments toward the theory of natural origins for SARS-CoV-2.

Additionally, Erdman mentioned that there were “Americans who were being illegally monitored while fulfilling their duties,” referencing the task force’s reviews swayed by Fauci’s input.

In response to Erdman’s claims, a CIA spokesperson accused the Senate committee of acting unjustly by subpoenaing an agency official, considering that private testimony had already been obtained.

A former intelligence analyst shared with the Post that Fauci was not the only “compromised” figure whose involvement swayed research visions towards zoonotic theories regarding the pandemic’s origins.

It turns out that other federal entities, like the FBI and the Department of Energy, had previously deduced that COVID-19 most likely stemmed from a lab incident, long before the CIA shifted from a neutral stance.

The newly declassified January 2025 CIA assessment, initiated under former President Joe Biden’s intelligence chief, William Burns, added to the growing support for the lab leak theory.

Ratcliffe commented on the previous lack of action from the CIA regarding assessing the pandemic’s origins, expressing concerns over the threat from China.

Meanwhile, four other organizations, including the National Intelligence Council, support the zoonotic origin theory, suggesting that the virus could have mutated naturally from bats and then infected humans, potentially through an intermediary like a pangolin.

A former intelligence analyst also expressed worries about the extensive Chinese influence within the IC, suggesting that Fauci and others may have misrepresented their findings, affecting the overall narrative regarding the virus’s origins.

What really needs attention, the analyst argued, is identifying who is pushing the natural source theory and suppressing the lab leak theory, as well as understanding their motivation.

The IC Office of Inspector General’s review from April 22, also obtained by the Post, highlighted new allegations of “conflicts of interest” that could compromise earlier coronavirus information outputs.

The assessment indicated that other entities might hold essential information that the IC OIG lacks, crucial for a complete evaluation of the COVID-19 origins issue.

“This special investigation validates serious allegations concerning the integrity of U.S. government personnel and procedures regarding the determination of COVID-19’s origins,” it concluded.

Attempts to reach CIA representatives for comments were unsuccessful.