Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul sent a letter in July to the Chief Records Officer of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, calling for information regarding a National Institutes of Health (NIH) employee using his personal email for official communications to allegedly conceal information regarding COVID-19 origins.
The Daily Caller first obtained a copy of the letter in which Paul mentions recently released e-mail communications that reveal Dr. David Morens using his personal email, and Paul says he might have “inappropriately” destroyed federal records.
“I write today to request additional information relating to recently released e-mail communications that reveal Dr. David Morens, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) employee, used a personal e-mail account for official communications in an effort to conceal information regarding COVID-19 origins, and may have inappropriately destroyed federal records,” Paul said in the letter. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Rand Paul Demands NIH Preserve All Documents, Communications In Fauci’s Possession)
In the letter, Paul demanded the following information no later than July 19, 2023:
- Has NARA opened an investigation into David Morens use of a personal email address to conduct official agency business in light of the recently released emails? If so, please provide the date the investigation was opened and the current status. If not, please explain why not.
- Has NARA opened an investigation into potential unauthorized disposition of federal records by David Morens in light of the recently released emails? If so, please provide the date the investigation was opened and the current status. If not, please explain why not.
- Has NARA requested documentation from the NIH related to these e-mails including, but not limited to, records associated with David Morens’ personal email address?
- Has NARA requested that NIH preserve records associated with David Morens including, but not limited to, emails sent and received from David Morens’ personal email address?
- Was David Morens involved in NARA’s February 2022 inquiry related to the unauthorized disposition of records related to the origins of COVID-19?
- Since 2019, how many allegations has NARA received regarding NIH employees using personal email addresses to conduct official business? For each allegation, please provide the date NARA received the allegation, a description of the allegation, and any follow-up action taken by NARA.
- Since 2019, how many allegations has NARA received regarding the unauthorized disposition of records by a NIH employee? For each allegation, please provide the date NARA received the allegation, a description of the allegation, and any follow-up action taken by NARA.
- Has NIH submitted the new permanent records schedule to NARA for consideration as indicated in correspondence related to NARA’s February 2022 investigation into unauthorized disposition of NIH records?
- What actions has NARA taken to ensure NIH compliance with federal records retention policies and the Freedom of Information Act?
READ THE LETTER HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
“Federal agencies are required to manage all records including e-mail messages. Agency employees are directed not to use personal e-mail account to conduct official agency business with few exceptions. If agency employees use a personal account to conduct official business, they are required to maintain the communications and abide by federal record keeping practices, including the transfer of the permanent e-mail records to the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA),” Paul added in the letter. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Rand Paul, Rep. Chip Roy To Introduce Legislation To Eliminate Fauci’s NIAID)
Paul has previously called on the NIH to preserve all documents and communications within Dr. Anthony Fauci’s possession related to his tenure at the NIH.
In a 2022 letter, he called on the NIH to specifically preserve all records, e-mails, electronic documents and data created by or shared with Fauci during his tenure at the NIH that relates to COVID-19 or to coronavirus research conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which Fauci has headed since 1984.
Paul also called on the NIH to notify all current and former employees to preserve any relevant documents, communications or other information.