U.S. Department of Justice or major news outlets

HHS Initiates Debarment Proceedings, Suspends Taxpayer Funding for EcoHealth Alliance

May 15, 2024, 04:17 PM

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has initiated formal debarment proceedings against EcoHealth Alliance, following a recommendation from the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis (COVIDSelect). This decision comes after evidence was uncovered in a recent report by COVIDSelect, which highlighted EcoHealth's involvement in gain-of-function research with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The organization, led by Dr. Peter Daszak, is accused of violating multiple requirements of its multimillion-dollar NIH grant and making false statements to the NIH. As a result, EcoHealth Alliance will face an immediate, government-wide suspension of taxpayer funding and will be ineligible to receive U.S. government funds for any type of research in the future. House Select Subcommittee Chair Wenstrup noted that EcoHealth should be criminally investigated.