RELEASE: Rep. Cloud Applauds the Debarment of Peter Daszak

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the immediate debarment of Peter Daszak, President of EcoHealth Alliance, in light of recent revelations from the Select Committee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. This means that all federal funding to Daszak has been stopped, and he is barred from receiving similar federal grants in the future.

Dazak was listed as the “Principal Investigator” for a grant project to study bats in Wuhan, China, through his role at EcoHealth. Under the terms of the grant, Dazak was required to report and disclose any “potentially dangerous” research conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology – a regulation designed to prevent potential lab leaks of novel viruses, which evidence suggests occurred at the Wuhan lab. Dazak failed to properly disclose the required information. The HHS’s referral memo notes “The NIH’s conclusion that WIV research likely violated protocols of NIH regarding biosafety is undisputed.”

This decision follows just a week after HHS halted all federal funding to EcoHealth Alliance itself, after the SSCP revealed the key role the organization and its leadership had played in covering up information on COVID-19.

Rep. Cloud released the following statement:

“This decision by the Department of Health and Human Services to debar Peter Daszak is a significant step toward the accountability that the American people deserve. Due in part to the hard work we have done in the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, the NIH has finally heeded our calls to stop funding Mr. Daszak and his organization, EcoHealth Alliance.

The American people deserve transparency and responsible stewardship of their taxpayer dollars. Peter Daszak’s malpractice surrounding his organization’s involvement with the Wuhan lab and his continued dishonestly and misleading to Congress was easily grounds for this debarment. Our ongoing efforts to investigate and bring accountability to those who mishandled the Coronavirus pandemic and lied to the American people are crucial to ensuring this never again occurs.

We will continue to pursue the truth and hold those responsible accountable. The debarment of Peter Daszak is just the beginning of restoring the integrity and trust the American people expect from their institutions. Our investigation is not over, we must continue to follow this trail to the top, up to and including figures like Dr. Fauci, to ensure complete accountability occurs.”

For your convenience, here are a few clips you can feel free to use in your reporting:

Cloud Questioning Daszak, HERE.

Full Daszak Committee and Testimony, HERE.