ODNI declassified docs allege Fauci funded Wuhan research

Outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released a tranche of declassified documents on Friday, June 19, 2026, alleging that former top U.S. infectious disease official Dr. Anthony Fauci funded controversial research in China and later misled Congress about his interactions with intelligence agencies regarding the origins of COVID-19.

Gabbard, on what she described as her final day in office, stated the documents show Fauci, while serving as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, directed millions in U.S. taxpayer dollars toward gain-of-function research involving bat coronaviruses at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which backed the allegations, claimed this research is "now widely viewed as the source of the unintentional lab leak that sparked the pandemic."

The release further accuses Fauci of collaborating with what it called "politicized career leadership" within the intelligence community to suppress information about the virus's origins and his funding role. According to the ODNI, Fauci maintained close ties with intelligence officials, providing...