GREENBELT, Maryland — May 8, 2026

David Morens, a former senior advisor to Anthony Fauci, has pleaded "not guilty" to charges involving a conspiracy to conceal and destroy federal records concerning the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a hearing in Maryland federal court on Friday, Morens, 78, pleaded not guilty to five criminal counts. He appeared alongside defense attorneys Timothy Belevetz and Morgan Taylor before Judge Ajmel Ahsen Quereshi.

Before the trial, Morens told the New York Post:

“I’m innocent.”

According to the April 16 indictment, Morens is accused of:

  • conspiracy against the U.S. government,

  • concealing federal records,

  • and destroying federal records,
    with the assistance of two unnamed co-conspirators.

Prosecutors allege that Morens used personal email to discuss COVID-19 origins to evade:

  • the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

  • and the Federal Records Act (FRA).

According to the indictment, these actions were intended to:

“conceal, remove, and destroy federal records to avoid FOIA requests”
and help:
“suppress alternative hypotheses regarding the origins of COVID-19.”

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche previously stated that the investigation revealed an effort to prevent the public from accessing information related to the pandemic's origins.

The indictment also mentions:

  • Peter Daszak

  • and Gerald Keusch
    as co-conspirators mentioned in investigative emails.

According to prosecutors, the organization EcoHealth Alliance received over $11 million in funding from the NIH between 2014–2020, part of which was used for bat coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.

Emails cited in the indictment show Morens once bragged about having a:

“secret back channel”
with Fauci and once wrote:
“No worry about FOIA. I can send stuff to Tony on his private Gmail, or hand it to him.”

In another email, Morens allegedly said Fauci was:

“too smart to let colleagues send things that can cause trouble.”

However, although Fauci was mentioned in the emails as “Senior NIAID Official #1,” he has not yet been named a co-defendant in the case.

Previously, Fauci testified before Congress that he:

“knew nothing”
about Morens using personal Gmail for government business and stated that Morens was not even his direct advisor.

If convicted, Morens could face a maximum sentence of up to 51 years in federal prison.