Written by Michael Evans.
Leaked data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has revealed that Anthony Fauci’s team received a staggering $710 million in royalties during the COVID-19 pandemic. These payments came from Big Pharma companies for licensing experimental medicines, including mRNA vaccines.
Of the total, $690 million was funneled to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), led by Fauci and his small team. The NIH tightly guards information about this private royalty complex, forcing my organization, OpenTheBooks.com, to sue for details. We uncovered $325 million in royalties from September 2009 to October 2021 through 56,000 transactions.
A second lawsuit, with Judicial Watch as our counsel, was necessary to obtain this new release. Payments surged during the pandemic, doubling the previous twelve years’ total. The grand total now stands at $1.036 billion. It’s unclear if royalties from Pfizer and Moderna, who settled with NIH by paying $400 million, are included in these figures. The NIH remains silent on this matter.
Facing Scrutiny
On Monday, Fauci will testify before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. This is a pivotal opportunity for the American public to gain transparency from the face of our COVID response. Fauci has long dismissed concerns about conflicts of interest between COVID policymakers and recipients of private royalties. Now, he must also address revealing emails from his deputies, detailing strategies to circumvent the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Fauci can no longer rely on misspelling words or sending physical messages to evade scrutiny, as described by Dr. David Morens, a key deputy. Cameras worldwide will focus on Fauci as he addresses information he previously provided in a sworn deposition. This is his chance to come clean or further cement the public’s perception of him and the NIH as secretive and self-serving.
The Need for Transparency
Beyond a small group of scientists concealing discussions about the virus’s origins, the NIH has consistently treated FOIA requests as threats. No surprise then that we are involved in six ongoing FOIA cases. The NIH continues to redact data that could help connect therapeutics with their government-paid inventors, refusing to disclose individual scientist payments.
In response, Sen. Rand Paul has sponsored the Royalty Transparency Act, which passed unanimously through the committee process and deserves an immediate floor vote. Fauci could support this bill, call on NIH and CDC to voluntarily disclose royalty payments, and advocate for FOIA law amendments that impose real consequences for violations. At a minimum, he should apologize for the contempt for FOIA and the transparency war revealed by private communications.
The government’s most fundamental duties to the public include providing for the general welfare and transparently reporting income and spending. Fauci’s testimony and subsequent actions will be critical in addressing these duties.
Our Take
The revelations about Fauci’s team’s substantial earnings from COVID drug royalties and the lack of transparency highlight significant ethical concerns. The public deserves to know if decisions made by health officials were in the interest of public welfare or driven by personal financial gain. As Fauci faces the House Select Subcommittee, it is imperative that he addresses these issues honestly and supports legislative measures that enhance transparency and accountability. The integrity of our public health institutions depends on it.