The bombshell testimony of James Erdman III, a special operations officer who joined the CIA in 2013, that Dr. Anthony Fauci orchestrated the cover-up of the origins of the COVID-19 virus, has launched a war between the CIA and conservative Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.
Erdman accused Fauci of “injecting” himself into the intelligence community’s investigation on the origins of COVID-19; he also said Fauci’s interference may have played a role in the agency scrapping a plan in 2021 to announce the virus was leaked from a Chinese lab.
“Public health policy would have been very different had the American public been made aware that a virus from a lab in China was going to serve as the foundation for an emergency use authorization MRNA products being mandated by the former administration,” Erdman testified in his opening remarks. “Dr. Fauci’s role in the cover-up was intentional. Dr. Fauci influenced the analytical process and findings by leveraging his position to ensure the IC consulted with the conflicted list of curated subject matter experts, public health officials, and scientists.”
“The Committee acted in bad faith by subpoenaing an Agency officer for testimony today without notifying CIA, despite having already obtained closed-door testimony from the individual previously,” CIA Director of Public Affairs Liz Lyons said in a statement to Fox News. “The witness testifying today is not appearing as a whistleblower in pursuit of the truth, but instead in response to the subpoena issued by Chairman Paul.”
Lyons added the “CIA has already assessed, COVID-19 most likely originated from a lab leak, and efforts to undermine that conclusion are disingenuous.”
We find Ms. Lyons’s statement to be most peculiar, given that the hearing was to review the history of the Agency’s position on COVID origins, as the New York Post documented:
And, as Yahoo News reported on Erdman’s testimony:
So, Ms. Lyons, when did the Agency change that assessment?
Earlier in the hearing, Erdman testified under oath there were “two instances” in 2020 and 2021 where Fauci had “contact with the inner agency.” Erdman said Fauci gave the agency a “curated list” of subject matter experts, and was “pushing” people in his “orbit” for the agency to lean on; Erdman said the CIA was happy to take Fauci’s suggestions.
Fauci’s attempt to “shape the narrative” of COVID’s origins is well known, but that it was being facilitated by his contact not just with experts here in the United States, but experts in Australia and the U.K., as well, is new information, at least to us, revealed by Mr. Erdman’s testimony.
However, Fauci’s role in the cover up isn’t the most important part of James Erdman III’s testimony, as he explained:
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) went off on the CIA, charging, “This is not political theater. I have years and years and years of built-up frustration of agencies like the CIA, Department of Justice committee, FBI, HHS, snubbing our oversight, giving us the big middle finger.”
Senator Rand Paul has long associated the “Deep State” with the intelligence communities, such as the CIA, charging they withhold information from Congress and lack oversight, exerting power regardless of who is in the White House, and as James Erdman’s testimony reveals he is clearly right.
Fauci’s alleged pardon issued by Joe Biden’s autopen may or may not protect him from criminal liability, but Senators Paul and Johnson should continue to investigate the cover up of COVID’s origins, how it spread here, and Fauci’s role in funding gain of function research among the many other Deep State crimes in which he may have participated, but most importantly, how the CIA and other elements of the intelligence community refuse oversight.
George Rasley is editor of Richard Viguerie's ConservativeHQ.com and is a veteran of over 300 political campaigns. A member of American MENSA, he served on the staff of Vice President Dan Quayle, as Director of Policy and Communication for former Congressman Adam Putnam (FL-12) then Vice Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, and as spokesman for retired Rep. Mac Thornberry formerly a member of the House Intelligence Committee and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
Erdman accused Fauci of “injecting” himself into the intelligence community’s investigation on the origins of COVID-19; he also said Fauci’s interference may have played a role in the agency scrapping a plan in 2021 to announce the virus was leaked from a Chinese lab.
“Public health policy would have been very different had the American public been made aware that a virus from a lab in China was going to serve as the foundation for an emergency use authorization MRNA products being mandated by the former administration,” Erdman testified in his opening remarks. “Dr. Fauci’s role in the cover-up was intentional. Dr. Fauci influenced the analytical process and findings by leveraging his position to ensure the IC consulted with the conflicted list of curated subject matter experts, public health officials, and scientists.”
“The Committee acted in bad faith by subpoenaing an Agency officer for testimony today without notifying CIA, despite having already obtained closed-door testimony from the individual previously,” CIA Director of Public Affairs Liz Lyons said in a statement to Fox News. “The witness testifying today is not appearing as a whistleblower in pursuit of the truth, but instead in response to the subpoena issued by Chairman Paul.”
Lyons added the “CIA has already assessed, COVID-19 most likely originated from a lab leak, and efforts to undermine that conclusion are disingenuous.”
We find Ms. Lyons’s statement to be most peculiar, given that the hearing was to review the history of the Agency’s position on COVID origins, as the New York Post documented:
[The record is clear that in 2023] a CIA assessment refused to state one way or another whether the coronavirus pandemic originated in a lab leak or spilled over naturally from animals to humans.
“Six of the seven technical experts say, ‘Yep, we still think it’s a lab leak,'” Erdman characterized the deliberations. “And they were sticking to their guns. Management changed the analytic line.”
The 2023 assessment stated: “We may never precisely know the origin of SARS-CoV-2.”
“‘Precisely’ is not a term analysts use,” Erdman clarified Wednesday. “They use words like ‘low confidence,’ ‘medium confidence.’ ‘Precisely’ is a word you use when you want to deliberately end discussion.”
“Six of the seven technical experts say, ‘Yep, we still think it’s a lab leak,'” Erdman characterized the deliberations. “And they were sticking to their guns. Management changed the analytic line.”
The 2023 assessment stated: “We may never precisely know the origin of SARS-CoV-2.”
“‘Precisely’ is not a term analysts use,” Erdman clarified Wednesday. “They use words like ‘low confidence,’ ‘medium confidence.’ ‘Precisely’ is a word you use when you want to deliberately end discussion.”
And, as Yahoo News reported on Erdman’s testimony:
“It was significantly influenced by Anthony Fauci injecting himself into the IC,” Erdman said.
He continued, saying the CIA was “considering calling this a lab leak” on August 12, 2021, following a 90-day study.
“That changed on August 17, 2021,” Erdman said. “And unfortunately because the CIA would not provide us documentation that we asked for, we have no idea why that changed.”
He continued, saying the CIA was “considering calling this a lab leak” on August 12, 2021, following a 90-day study.
“That changed on August 17, 2021,” Erdman said. “And unfortunately because the CIA would not provide us documentation that we asked for, we have no idea why that changed.”
So, Ms. Lyons, when did the Agency change that assessment?
Earlier in the hearing, Erdman testified under oath there were “two instances” in 2020 and 2021 where Fauci had “contact with the inner agency.” Erdman said Fauci gave the agency a “curated list” of subject matter experts, and was “pushing” people in his “orbit” for the agency to lean on; Erdman said the CIA was happy to take Fauci’s suggestions.
Fauci’s attempt to “shape the narrative” of COVID’s origins is well known, but that it was being facilitated by his contact not just with experts here in the United States, but experts in Australia and the U.K., as well, is new information, at least to us, revealed by Mr. Erdman’s testimony.
However, Fauci’s role in the cover up isn’t the most important part of James Erdman III’s testimony, as he explained:
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) went off on the CIA, charging, “This is not political theater. I have years and years and years of built-up frustration of agencies like the CIA, Department of Justice committee, FBI, HHS, snubbing our oversight, giving us the big middle finger.”
Senator Rand Paul has long associated the “Deep State” with the intelligence communities, such as the CIA, charging they withhold information from Congress and lack oversight, exerting power regardless of who is in the White House, and as James Erdman’s testimony reveals he is clearly right.
Fauci’s alleged pardon issued by Joe Biden’s autopen may or may not protect him from criminal liability, but Senators Paul and Johnson should continue to investigate the cover up of COVID’s origins, how it spread here, and Fauci’s role in funding gain of function research among the many other Deep State crimes in which he may have participated, but most importantly, how the CIA and other elements of the intelligence community refuse oversight.
George Rasley is editor of Richard Viguerie's ConservativeHQ.com and is a veteran of over 300 political campaigns. A member of American MENSA, he served on the staff of Vice President Dan Quayle, as Director of Policy and Communication for former Congressman Adam Putnam (FL-12) then Vice Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, and as spokesman for retired Rep. Mac Thornberry formerly a member of the House Intelligence Committee and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
