Staff Reports
Peter Daszak, the head of the EcoHealth Alliance, an organization that funded coronavirus research in China and sought to discredit the lab leak theory, faced some heat on Tuesday as he refused to address questions about his efforts. Daszak, a leading scientist and zoologist, has long been an outspoken critic of the idea that COVID-19 originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, despite several U.S. government agencies suggesting otherwise.
As Daszak emerged from a closed-door meeting with the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Origins of the COVID-19 Pandemic, he dodged inquiries from the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF) about his denial of the lab leak claim and his ties to the Institute. It seemed that Daszak wanted to steer clear of any uncomfortable questions as he was swiftly ushered back into the committee room by his attorneys.
At the U.S. Capitol, I questioned Peter Daszak, a COVID-19 investigator for the WHO and funder of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, over his denials that the virus leaked from a laboratory. Click on the picture to read my @DailyCaller NF story for more. https://t.co/Kha5YWdPaW
— Arjun Singh (@arjunswritings) November 14, 2023
The DCNF persisted in their pursuit of answers, asking Daszak if he agreed with the U.S. government’s assessments and if he regretted providing funding to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. However, their attempts were thwarted as they were eventually told to back off from the room, giving Daszak an easy escape route.
Adding fuel to the fire, Daszak was part of a group of scientists under the World Health Organization (WHO) tasked with investigating the origins of the virus in Wuhan. Their report concluded that a lab leak was highly unlikely and unworthy of further exploration. However, concerns were raised about Daszak’s impartiality, considering his organization had collaborated with the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the past. This conflict of interest did not deter Daszak from adamantly denying any possibility of a lab leak during subsequent media appearances.
While Daszak attempted to brush off the claims, investigations by U.S. government agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Energy, suggested that the virus did indeed originate from a lab in China. Of course, there are conflicting reports from some U.S. intelligence agencies, but the mounting evidence raises serious questions about Daszak’s involvement and the credibility of his denial.
The EcoHealth Alliance and the committee’s Democratic staff have remained tight-lipped thus far, offering no comment on the matter. As the controversy continues to unfold, Daszak may find it increasingly difficult to evade accountability for his role in the funding and subsequent denial surrounding the Wuhan lab leak theory.
