The Department of Health and Human Services suspended all federal grants Tuesday to the controversial Manhattan nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance, which funded gain-of-function virus research in Wuhan, China in advance of the COVID-19 pandemic.
HHS deputy assistant secretary for acquisitions Katrina Brisbon informed EcoHealth President Dr. Peter Daszak in a Wednesday letter released by a House subcommittee investigating the outbreak that there was “adequate evidence” to recommend the nonprofit be cut off from future government contracts, writing “immediate action is necessary to protect the public interest.”
“Debarment is generally for a period not to exceed three years; however, regardless of whether EHA contests this action or responds to this Notice, I may impose debarment for a longer period or shorter period as the circumstances warrant,” Brisbon added.
EcoHealth Alliance President Dr. Peter Daszak arrives for a House Select Subcommittee hearing on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Capitol Hill on May 1, 2024 in Washington, DC. The hearing is part of an investigation into Daszak, who's organization is a non-profit whose goal is to prevent pandemics and was involved in investigations into the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an accompanying memo, Brisbon said that EcoHealth had been “more than two years late” with one of its reviews of a grant proposal for its Wuhan project, which had for a time operated around a government-wide moratorium on the practice.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), which permitted the grant, gave EcoHealth several opportunities to disprove that its experiments constituted gain-of-function research — but the group “failed to do so,” according to Brisbon.
That research also “likely violated protocols of the NIH regarding biosafety,” she added, with experiments conducted at biosafety level 2 — which according to Rutgers University molecular biologist Dr. Richard Ebright is comparable to the standards of safety at a typical dentist’s office. --->READ MORE HERE
 |
| Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images |
HHS cited evidence from the House COVID subcommittee's report
The Department of Health and Human Services implemented an immediate, government-wide suspension on all funds allocated to EcoHealth Alliance – a firm that used taxpayer funds to conduct gain of function research at the Wuhan lab before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
HHS made the decision, citing evidence included in the House COVID Select Subcommittee’s staff-level report on the nonprofit.
According to HHS, EcoHealth willfully violated the terms of a multimillion-dollar National Institute of Health grant.
A spokesperson for EcoHealth Alliance told Fox News Digital that it is "disappointed by HHS' decision today and we will be contesting the proposed debarment."
"We disagree strongly with the decision and will present evidence to refute each of these allegations and to show that NIH's continued support of EcoHealth Alliance is in the public interest," the spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
The House COVID subcommittee, reacting Wednesday, said those are "not the actions of an organization or an individual that should continue to receive taxpayer funds."
"EcoHealth Alliance and [EcoHealth President] Dr. Peter Daszak should never again receive a single penny from the U.S. taxpayer," committee Chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, said in a statement Wednesday. "EcoHealth facilitated gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, without proper oversight, willingly violated multiple requirements of its multimillion-dollar National Institutes of Health Grant and apparently made false statements to the NIH."
Wenstrup added that those actions are "wholly abhorrent, indefensible, and must be addressed with swift action."
"EcoHealth’s immediate funding suspension and future debarment is not only a victory for the U.S. taxpayer, but also for American national security and the safety of citizens worldwide," Wenstrup said. --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to relevant/related stories and resources:
NI civil servants more reactive than proactive at start of pandemic – Sue Gray
FLiRT variant of COVID is spreading: Here are the most common symptoms
USA TODAY: Coronavirus Updates
WSJ: Coronavirus Live Updates
YAHOO NEWS: Coronavirus Live Updates
NEW YORK POST: Coronavirus The Latest
If you like what you see, please "Like" and/or Follow us on FACEBOOK here, GETTR here, and TWITTER here.
No comments:
Post a Comment