A former senior adviser at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who worked during Dr. Anthony Fauci’s tenure has pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge involving efforts to conceal communications connected to COVID-19 research grants and questions surrounding the origins of the pandemic.
David M. Morens, 78, of Chester, Maryland, entered his guilty plea Tuesday in federal court in Greenbelt before U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis. Morens admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit offenses against and defraud the United States.
The case centers on communications, federal records, Freedom of Information Act obligations, and efforts by government officials and outside figures to manage the fallout surrounding coronavirus research during one of the most consequential public health crises in modern American history.
