U.S. Senator Rand Paul | U.S. Senator Rand Paul official website
U.S. Senator Rand Paul | U.S. Senator Rand Paul official website
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Rick Scott (R-FL) have sent a letter to the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William J. Burns, requesting information on recent whistleblower allegations related to the CIA’s investigation into the origins of COVID-19.
The allegations stem from a whistleblower testimony made by a senior-level CIA Officer, which claims that the Agency paid off six analysts who had initially determined that COVID-19 likely originated from a lab leak. According to a letter from the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the CIA assigned seven officers with scientific expertise to a COVID Discovery Team. Of those seven members, six believed that the available intelligence and science pointed to a laboratory in Wuhan, China as the source of the virus. However, the letter alleges that these six members were given financial incentives to change their position, resulting in the CIA's public uncertainty on the origins of COVID-19.
Responding to these allegations, the Senators wrote, "These allegations are deeply concerning and raise serious questions about the Agency’s investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, we request you provide our offices with the following information no later than September 25, 2023."
In their letter, the Senators requested various documents and communications related to the establishment of the COVID Discovery Team and its members' discussions on the origins of COVID-19. They also sought documents and communications between the team members and other employees or contractors of the Agency, as well as other federal government agencies. Additionally, the Senators requested information on the pay history and any financial incentives given to the members of the COVID Discovery Team.
The full text of the letter can be found HERE.
For more information, please visit Senator Rand Paul's website.
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