EMAIL · 19 August 2021
Whistleblower Issue -- Revised Letter after Discussion and Transcript Review
Provenance: Christopher C. Fonzone to Avril D. Haines, copying Stacey A. Dixon, Morgan Muir, Matthew C. Rhoades and one redacted recipient · 9:13 PM · 2 pages · same title and date as item 34.
Three days after item 53, the referral changes direction. Having reviewed transcripts of Dr. Fauci’s congressional appearances, the General Counsel identifies which testimony the complaint concerns and redirects the referral away from the HHS Inspector General.
The review concludes the complaint most likely refers to exchanges with Senator Paul on 11 May and 20 July 2021. At the May hearing Dr. Fauci stated that "the NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain of function research in the Wuhan Institute"; in July Senator Paul asked him to retract it and he stood behind it.
The referral is redirected from the HHS Inspector General to Secretary Becerra himself, on the stated basis that the Secretary had already told the DNI this was something HHS had considered.
Both a tracked-changes and a clean version of the transmittal letter to the two congressional intelligence committees are attached, together with the original letter from the IC IG.
Read against item 53, the pair shows a referral to an independent inspector general becoming a referral to the head of the department complained about, over three days and one conversation.
Item 54 of the ODNI COVID-19 document release of 18 June 2026, held complete and readable in the V.A.D.E.S. archive at DEFROST.WORLD.