# Former NIAID employee indicted for falsifying COVID reports **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 28, 2026, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632 "2026-04-28T23:10:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/1 "2026-04-28T23:10:36Z")
I’m not sure what to think of this, especially because it appears that only the RWNJ press is really reporting on it. At 78, he could possibly have had some early-stage dementia going on. Of course, some of the RWNJers are having a field day with this: “Throw Fauci under the bus that he constructed, drove, and forced us to ride on!” but we have to find out more. > **[Former Senior NIAID Official Indicted for Concealing Federal Records During...](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-senior-niaid-official-indicted-concealing-federal-records-during-covid-19-pandemic-0)** > > A former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) employee is facing indictment for his role in a scheme to evade Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests in connection with COVID-19 research grants. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/2 "2026-04-29T01:53:09Z")
“Covid Reports”? He’s in trouble for taking money and faking FOI reports to support a grant for “research” on the “Lab Release” conspiracy theory. FOI reports, not COVID reports, and yes, he had to fake FOI reports to cover up why grant money was going to “Lab Release” con artists instead of scientifically based “Bat Source” research. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/3 "2026-04-29T02:29:07Z")
I couldn’t quite follow the original document. ---
**Author:** ![Eric1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/4 "2026-04-29T12:38:45Z")
The person under indictment Morens sounded unlikable, having sold himself out for some bottles of wine. It’s a good thing I’d be satisfied with an honestly-earned 2 Buck Chuck. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/5 "2026-04-29T13:14:08Z")
FOI? Is that Freedom of Information? Usually, I see that as FOIA, …Act. Can you provide a mainstream cite for your last paragraph? ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/6 "2026-04-29T14:48:58Z")
So the full list of his hideous crimes is… - Using his personal email to avoid FOIA requests (not to conspiring to avoid legal scrutiny, mind you, just FOIA requests) - Accepting a bottle of wine for doing his official duties I look forward to _every single_ Trump appointee going to prison. Without a bit of exaggeration I don’t think there is a single Trump appointee who has not committed that level of criminality.at the very least. If that’s the bar then let’s lock them all the hell up. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/7 "2026-04-29T15:13:15Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > I look forward to _every single_ Trump appointee going to prison. Without a bit of exaggeration I don’t think there is a single Trump appointee who has not committed that level of criminality.at the very least. If that’s the bar then let’s lock them all the hell up. Oh, well, pardon _me!_ ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/8 "2026-04-29T15:36:26Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Can you provide a mainstream cite for your last paragraph? See the guardian article (under normal circumstances I would consider the DOJ statement the primary source over other discussion in the press, but under the Trump administration thats not the case ☹ ) > **[Former Fauci aide charged with concealing Covid records](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/28/david-morens-covid-fauci)** > > Ex-Niaid employee David Morens accused of trying to shield correspondence related to outbreak of pandemic > Morens and two co-conspirators – anticipating that their communications would be requested under the federal Freedom of Information Act – "agreed in writing to intentionally hide from public view their communication That’s a very different thing than deliberately conspiring to keep their communication out of legal scrutiny, which is a commonly prosecuted crime. This is an extremely low bar and doing this is ubiquitous in the Trump administration (e.g. the whole DOGE effort was based on this) ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/9 "2026-04-29T16:47:48Z")
I was looking for a cite for this: > [@Melbourne](#): > > FOI reports, not COVID reports, and yes, he had to fake FOI reports to cover up why grant money was going to “Lab Release” con artists instead of scientifically based “Bat Source” research. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/10 "2026-04-29T16:59:34Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > I was looking for a cite for this: > > > [@Melbourne](#): > > > > FOI reports, not COVID reports Yeah I don’t see any reference to any kind of fake reports here, that’s not a thing. The only thing he’s accused of is… - Using personal email to avoid FOIA requests (again only FOIA requests, not legal scrutiny of any kind, this was not about obstruction of justice) - Taking gratuities (i.e. a bottle of wine) and for doing his job All of which is completely ubiquitous in the Trump administration. There was nothing illegal or nefarious about the original contract no matter how much Trump and his DOJ would like there to be. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/11 "2026-04-29T17:15:02Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Yeah I don’t see any reference to any kind of fake reports here, that’s not a thing. I didn’t see any either in the places I looked, so I asked @Melbourne for a cite. Any luck, @Melbourne? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/12 "2026-05-01T09:33:14Z")
I see what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/13 "2026-05-02T12:11:11Z")
I guess a cite won’t be forthcoming. I’m ensaddened. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/14 "2026-05-03T04:43:58Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > I was looking for a cite for this: I use Win7, and sometimes can’t post for long periods. I missed the “gratuities” – I assumed that was cash, not goods. I would say that for a public servant here, that would be very bad form, and you would have to be exceptionally stupid not to realize that it was a career-limiting move. A management-level public servant would only expect prosecution if it became a public-press issue. I don’t think that there is any question but that incorrect / untrue FOI reports were the result of his actions. Is this a semantic issue, or do you disagree? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/15 "2026-05-03T10:51:31Z")
I disagree that he faked the FOI reports, or that money was going to lab release “con artists.” I don’t see that anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2026, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/16 "2026-05-10T05:39:25Z")
You can also fake FOI reports either by doing the typing, or by concealing the evidence on which they are based. The charge was that he deliberately hid information, for the purpose of hiding it from FOI, so that the FOI reports were intentionally false. And that the information he was hiding, was discussion about getting grant money directed in one particular direction, rather than another. From the original post reference: " In anticipation that their communications would be requested through a FOIA Request, Morens, Co-Conspirator 1, and Co-Conspirator 2 agreed in writing to intentionally hide from public view their communications" I understand the suggestion that “causing a report to be false” is not the same as “falsifying a report”, but I think you should be clear that you are making a semantic point. My original post was about the use of “COVID reports” for “FOIA reports”. If you wish to address the substance of my post, that’s what you should focus on. If you want to argue about the meaning of the word “falsifying” in the thread title, you should direct your attention to the OP. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2026, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/17 "2026-05-10T07:59:49Z")
Apparently, he used his personal address to avoid FOIA scrutiny – is that right? I’m not saying that’s the right thing to do, but that’s not faking anything. And, “lab release con artists”? ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/18 "2026-05-13T19:15:58Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Apparently, he used his personal address to avoid FOIA scrutiny – is that right? I’m not saying that’s the right thing to do, but that’s not faking anything Yeah this and receiving a bottle of wine from a private contractor who benefited from his work. Which is without exaggerating, the minimum level of corruption every Trump appointee in the government, it is definely true of every DOGE employee. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/19 "2026-05-14T02:02:04Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > is without exaggerating, the minimum level of corruption every Trump appointee in the government, Cite? ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632/20 "2026-05-14T02:30:52Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > Cite? > **[American Oversight Launches Investigation into Trump Administration’s...](https://americanoversight.org/american-oversight-launches-investigation-into-trump-administrations-widespread-use-of-signal/)** > > Following revelations that Signal use is more widespread than previously known, and after American Oversight's court victory preserving federal records on the encrypted platform, organization targets Signal use by top officials at 25 agencies,... [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-niaid-employee-indicted-for-falsifying-covid-reports/1029632.md?page=2)