A former president of a nonprofit based in Manhattan, which conducted controversial research at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, claims to be “unemployed” and “poor” in a lawsuit seeking $3 million against the organization.
Dr. Peter Daszak, who led EcoHealth Alliance, has been prevented from receiving federal funding until 2029 due to his failure to disclose significant genetic modifications he made to the coronavirus.
In December, the board of the organization directed Daszak, 59, to terminate all 26 nonprofit employees and subsequently reprimanded him, as stated in court documents filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Additionally, his retirement benefits have been withheld, and he claims to be “unemployed and currently poor.”
Records from EcoHealth show Daszak earned $443,590, as shown in a recent tax return.
Last year, the House Oversight Committee’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic found that EcoHealth and Daszak, who had a tenure of 24 years, consistently disregarded several obligations tied to over $4 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health during their activities in China.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) highlighted that incidents related to lab research, including gain-of-function studies, are the most plausible source of COVID-19. He stated that EcoHealth and Daszak should never receive taxpayer money again.
Although EcoHealth Alliance shut down in April, Daszak and former staff swiftly formed a new nonprofit with a similar purpose. Through this new venture, he authored a paper in August addressing the “widespread risk of coronavirus spillover” from Chinese pig farms. This organization has yet to submit financial documents to the IRS and has not answered inquiries regarding its funding or Daszak’s compensation.
Recently, he has also shown involvement in other activities, such as organizing protests against the Trump administration’s statements related to health and science.
Daszak’s attorney has not provided any comments on this matter.
