The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has disbarred EcoHealth Alliance Inc. and its former president, Dr. Peter Daszak, and formally blocked the company and its physicians from receiving federal funds for five years. EcoHealth allegedly failed to report dangerous gain-of-function experiments to the government, which ultimately led to its disbarment. In the disbarment notice to Daszak, HHS officials wrote that the action was “necessary” to protect the business interests of the U.S. government.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) welcomed the ban in a statement, calling it “justice for the American people.” Comer went on to accuse the “bad actors” EcoHealth and its “corrupt former president” of using tax dollars to conduct “dangerous gain-of-function research in China.”
In May, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic under the House Oversight Committee released an interim report detailing its findings regarding the lack of government funding and oversight of gain-of-function research.
On February 3, 2021, members of the World Health Organization (WHO) team investigating the origins of the new coronavirus infection visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology in central China’s Hubei province. Security guards on duty. (Héctor Retamar/AFP via Getty Images)
HHS moves to ban EcoHealth Alliance chairman for non-compliance with subsidy procedures
In its report, the subcommittee found “substantial evidence” that Daszak “repeatedly violated the terms of NIH grants awarded to EcoHealth.” Based on its findings, the committee ultimately recommended that EcoHealth and Desac be formally stripped and barred from receiving “any” federal funds.
Additionally, during its review, the committee accused EcoHealth of not submitting an annual research update, which it did in August 2021, almost two years after the September 2019 deadline.
Peter Daszak (right), Thea Fisher (left) and others from the World Health Organization (WHO) team investigating the origins of the new coronavirus arrive at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei province, on February 1. did. March 3, 2021 (Héctor Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)
“EcoHealth Alliance President Dr. Peter Daszak is not a good steward of the American taxpayer and should never again receive funding from the American taxpayer,” said Committee Chairman Brad Wenstrup. (R-Ohio) said in a May 2024 memo.
“Dr. Daszak and his organization conducted dangerous gain-of-function research. [Wuhan Institute of Virology]knowingly violated the terms of a multi-million dollar NIH grant and endangered the national security of the United States. This blatant disrespect for the American people is reprehensible. ”
EcoHealth Alliance’s disbarment period is scheduled to end on May 14, 2029, and Dr. Daszak’s disbarment is scheduled to end six days later, on May 20, 2029.
EcoHealth Alliance President Dr. Peter Daszak speaks during a House Select Subcommittee hearing on the coronavirus pandemic on May 1, 2024 at the Capitol in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Disgraced EcoHealth Alliance has earned nearly $100 million in taxpayer funds since 2008
In May, it was revealed that the disgraced research firm had received nearly $100 million from the federal government over the past decade and a half.
From fiscal year 2008 to fiscal year 2024, the U.S. government provided an estimated $9,430 to EcoHealth Alliance through contracts, grants, direct payments, loans and other financial assistance, according to a Fox News Digital review of government spending data provided by USAspending.gov. Provided $1 million in taxpayer funding. .
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An EcoHealth spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Kyle Morris contributed to this report.
Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.
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