The upcoming public testimony of Dr. Peter Daszak, scheduled for May 1 before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, has stirred controversy. Daszak, labeled as a “real-life Bond villain” by RedState’s Scott Hounsell, is the president and CEO of EcoHealth Alliance.
His collaboration with Dr. Shi Zhengli of the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) on coronavirus research, suspected by many to be linked to the development of COVID-19, has attracted scrutiny. Additionally, Daszak’s role in dismissing the lab leak theory and censoring discussions around it, including on platforms like RedState, has fueled skepticism.
Daszak’s involvement in funneling millions of dollars in grants, including from the US government and the Department of Defense to WIV for gain-of-function research on SARS coronaviruses raises concerns.
His collaboration with Shi Zhengli, including research on strains similar to COVID-19, and his orchestration of a letter in the Lancet affirming the natural origin of COVID-19 without disclosing conflicts of interest are highlighted. Moreover, Daszak’s influence on fact-checkers, such as Science Feedback and correspondence with Dr. Fauci, to suppress the lab leak theory are notable points of contention.
Dr. Peter Daszak (Credits: FOX News)
Reports suggest that EcoHealth Alliance’s program at WIV, concealed since the pandemic’s onset, was linked to the creation of SARS-CoV-2, according to a DARPA memo. Drafts of EcoHealth Alliance’s proposal and related discussions reveal details about the intended research, adding to the scrutiny.
The committee’s decision to call Daszak for a public hearing stems from discrepancies in his statements during a previous closed-door interview, as newly released emails raise doubts about their veracity. The committee requests extensive document production ahead of the hearing to address these inconsistencies.
The committee’s press release accuses EcoHealth of using taxpayer funds for dangerous research at WIV and questions the accuracy of Daszak’s statements. It calls for clarification on EcoHealth’s relationship with WIV and demands explanations for the discrepancies in Daszak’s testimony.
However, EcoHealth refutes the committee’s claims, asserting inaccuracies in their allegations against Daszak and defending the organization’s research endeavors. Rutgers professor Dr. Richard Ebright challenges EcoHealth’s stance, emphasizing that the discrepancies are factual and warrant potential penalties.
As anticipation builds for Daszak’s public testimony, the controversy surrounding his role in coronavirus research and the origins of COVID-19 continues to unfold. The conflicting narratives between the committee’s accusations, EcoHealth’s rebuttal, and expert opinions like Dr. Ebright’s underscore the complexity of the issue and the importance of transparency and accountability in scientific research and public health initiatives.
