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U.S. Lawmakers Target EcoHealth's Daszak, Call to Defund WHO in COVID-19 Probe

May 4, 2024, 09:40 PM

In a rare bipartisan effort, U.S. lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties are scrutinizing Peter Daszak and his nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance, which funneled U.S. federal funds to the Wuhan Institute of Virology for coronavirus research. Allegations against Daszak include misleading the U.S. government about his connections with the Wuhan lab and displaying disregard for the risks associated with gain-of-function research. This has led to calls from the House Select Subcommittee for Daszak to be barred from receiving federal funding, citing that EcoHealth’s actions are a threat to national security and Daszak is not a faithful steward of US taxpayer dollars. Additionally, there are calls for a reevaluation of funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) in light of the COVID-19 origins probe. During the pandemic, the U.S. shared significant evidence with Britain indicating a high likelihood that COVID-19 may have leaked from the Wuhan lab.