Tulsi Gabbard Drops Documents She Says Relate to COVID, Fauci—View in Full

• Source: Tulsi Gabbard Drops Documents She Says Relate to COVID, Fauci—View in FullPublisher: Newsweek | Author: Anna Commander, Sam StevensonPublished: June 18, 2026 | Archived: July 16, 2026
• Why This Matters Now
• What the Documents Claim
• Allegations Around Funding and Wuhan Research
• Whistleblower Claims
• What Fauci Has Said Previously
• Political Context and Biden Pardon
• What Remains Unclear
• What Happens Next
• Read documents in full below:

§Source: Tulsi Gabbard Drops Documents She Says Relate to COVID, Fauci—View in Full
Publisher: Newsweek | Author: Anna Commander, Sam Stevenson
Published: June 18, 2026 | Archived: July 16, 2026

Outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has released what she described as previously unseen communications and documents related to the origins of COVID-19, research funding, and the alleged actions of Dr. Anthony Fauci.

The documents, released late Thursday as part of what the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) described as a yearlong declassification review, include internal communications, whistleblower allegations and intelligence-related material tied to debates over how the coronavirus pandemic began.

Gabbard alleged that the records demonstrate connections between U.S.-funded research, the Wuhan Institute of Virology and efforts within government to shape public understanding of the virus’ origins. She also alleged that Fauci “lied to Congress while under oath in 2024.”

Newsweek attempted to contact Fauci via Georgetown Global Health Institute late Thursday night for comment.

§Why This Matters Now

The release of the documents is the latest step in the current administration’s broader effort to revisit decisions made during the pandemic and scrutinize intelligence and scientific processes.

It also comes as Gabbard prepares to leave government, after announcing she would step down as director of national intelligence, with President Donald Trump appointing Bill Pulte as acting director.

§What the Documents Claim

In a statement accompanying the release, Gabbard said: “The COVID-19 pandemic caused tremendous hardship and pain for millions of our fellow Americans and for countless people around the world. After years of lies, censorship, and cover-ups, the American people deserve transparency, truth, and accountability.”

She added: “The tactics used to hide the truth are straight from the deep state playbook: politicized self-serving leaders like Dr. Fauci covered up their own wrongdoing and abuses of power, manipulated intelligence, lied to Congress, and undermined a duly elected President.”

According to the ODNI release, the documents include communications that the agency says indicate Fauci, while serving as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), was involved in discussions connected to intelligence reviews of COVID-19’s origins.

The ODNI also said intelligence personnel sought guidance from scientific experts recommended by Fauci during a U.S. government review into the pandemic’s origins.

The agency further alleged that Fauci maintained contact with intelligence officials during key stages of the review process, and that some of the communications conflict with his 2024 congressional testimony.

§Allegations Around Funding and Wuhan Research

In its statement, the ODNI said Fauci oversaw funding that supported coronavirus research involving bat viruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The release also alleged this work involved gain-of-function research and described it as being “widely viewed” as linked to a potential laboratory-related origin of the pandemic.

Gabbard has also claimed the documents show officials within the intelligence community suppressed dissenting views, including those supportive of a laboratory-origin hypothesis.

However, U.S. intelligence agencies have not reached a definitive conclusion on the origins of COVID-19.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is sworn-in before testifying before the House Oversi… | Infectious Diseases Dr. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

§Whistleblower Claims

According to the ODNI, the release includes whistleblower testimony alleging that intelligence analysts who expressed alternative views on the virus’ origins faced professional consequences.

The agency said complaints included claims of marginalization, career setbacks and pressure against dissenting opinions.

The ODNI added that several of these allegations have been referred to the Intelligence Community Inspector General for review.

§What Fauci Has Said Previously

Fauci, who led NIAID for decades and became one of the most visible figures in the U.S. pandemic response, has repeatedly denied allegations that he covered up the origins of COVID-19 or misled lawmakers.

During a June 2024 congressional hearing before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, Fauci rejected accusations that he lied to Congress or orchestrated a cover-up, calling such claims “preposterous,” according to reporting on the hearing.

He also said that both a natural origin and a laboratory accident remained plausible scenarios for COVID, though evidence, in his view, leaned toward natural transmission while remaining inconclusive.

The hearing did not produce definitive evidence linking Fauci to the origin of the virus, following years of debate and congressional scrutiny over U.S.-funded research that involved collaborators at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

§Political Context and Biden Pardon

The new allegations come amid continued political divisions over the pandemic response and investigations into its origins.

In January 2025, then-President Joe Biden issued a preemptive pardon for Fauci, along with several other officials, citing concerns they could face “baselessly” motivated prosecutions.

Biden emphasized at the time that the pardons “should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment” of wrongdoing.

Fauci has remained a lightning rod for criticism among some Republicans, while supporters credit him with helping guide the U.S. through a once-in-a-century public health crisis.

§What Remains Unclear

Despite the sweeping claims, several key questions remain unresolved:

• Legal implications: It is unclear whether new evidence could lead to formal investigations or legal action.

• Verification: The documents themselves have not yet been independently verified in full by outside experts or congressional bodies.

• Scientific consensus: U.S. intelligence agencies and scientists continue to say there is no definitive proof of whether COVID-19 emerged from a lab or natural transmission.

§What Happens Next

The release is likely to intensify debate over the origins of COVID-19, as well as scrutiny of the intelligence community’s role in shaping public narratives during the pandemic.

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The ODNI materials have not yet been independently verified in full, and further review by lawmakers, scientists and intelligence experts is expected in the coming days.

For now, the release adds new fuel to a debate that—more than six years after the pandemic began—remains unresolved.

§Read documents in full below:

Update: 06/19/26, 04:00 a.m. ET. This article has been updated with more information.