Indicted: A Former NIAID Adviser and Federal Records

On April 28, 2026, a federal indictment named Dr. David Morens, who served as a senior adviser at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from 2006 through 2022. He has been charged with conspiracy, destruction or falsification of records, concealment of records, and aiding and abetting. The indictment alleges that Morens used his personal Gmail account to exchange non-public NIH information and to avoid Freedom of Information Act requests while discussing a 2014 project titled 'Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence.' Congressional emails released in 2024 have shown exchanges with the president of a New York nonprofit and other scientists, while investigators say the communications were meant to influence funding decisions.

The document also alleges that Morens accepted gifts for his efforts, including two bottles of wine sent in June 2020. He now faces counts that carry decades in prison if convicted, with specific maximum penalties listed in the charging document. The FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated the case, and U.S. prosecutors in Maryland are handling the prosecution. An indictment is not a finding of guilt, and Morens is presumed innocent until proven guilty.