The Justice Department indicted former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases senior adviser David Morens on conspiracy and related charges for allegedly tampering with federal records tied to COVID-19 origin questions. Prosecutors say he deleted emails from his government account and directed communications to his personal account. [1]
The indictment was unsealed on Monday, April 28, 2026, and assigned to U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland. [1]
The case grew out of a 2024 congressional investigation that found emails in which Morens discussed ways to evade Freedom of Information Act requests by deleting sensitive correspondence. In one message sent on June 28, 2021, Morens wrote, "The best way to avoid FOIA hassles is to delete all emails when you learn a subject is getting sensitive." [1]
Lawmakers from both parties criticized Morens for trying to skirt transparency laws, according to the investigation cited in the indictment. [1]
The indictment comes as the Trump administration revives claims that federal officials hid the origins of COVID-19, using the case to promote the lab leak theory and attack pandemic response agencies. The intelligence community remains split on the virus’s origin. CIA and FBI favor the lab leak theory, while many scientists support an animal origin. [1]
Morens’s next court step is tied to the Maryland federal case before Judge Xinis. [1]