Ex-NIAID Adviser Indicted For Allegedly Hiding Covid-19 Grant Emails
A former adviser to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was indicted in federal court Tuesday, April 28, 2026, for allegedly concealing emails about Covid-19 grant awards and faces possible criminal charges, The Wall Street Journal reported. (wsj.com)
Prosecutors say the unsealed indictment alleges the defendant withheld or removed emails that related to pandemic-era research grants. The filing frames the alleged conduct as concealment of records tied to grant oversight, the report says.
The episode traces back to intense scrutiny of how agencies and advisers handled Covid-19 research money during the pandemic. That scrutiny has produced multiple inquiries and reporting about transparency, and this indictment emerges amid broader questions about grant review and recordkeeping during that period.
It was not immediately clear whether the accused has been arrested or has entered a plea. Requests for comment from the defendant's lawyer and prosecutors were not answered as of the report's publication, The Wall Street Journal added. (wsj.com)
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📌 Key Facts
- On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, the Justice Department announced an indictment of former NIAID adviser David Morens.
- Prosecutors accuse Morens of conspiring to conceal records from the public in connection with Covid-19 research grants.
- Morens, 78, served as a senior official at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases between 2006 and 2022.
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