New information information on the global COVID-19 pandemic was discovered during a leading virologist’s testimony to the House Oversight Committee hearing Tuesday. Danish virologist Dr. Kristian Andersen, who co-authored the highly influential paper “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2” published in March 2020 that argued the lab-leak theory was not “plausible” had a change of tune when confronted by Congress.

During his appearance, Anderson denied any of his findings were influenced by politics, or an attempt to avoid alienating the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). However, House Republicans obtained messages between Anderson and a colleague from the communications platform ‘slack’ which explain the reality behind Anderson’s actions and writings.

National Review reports of the exchange:

“[G]iven the sh** show that would happen if anyone serious accused the Chinese of even accidental release, my feeling is we should say that given there is no evidence of a specifically engineered virus, we cannot possibly distinguish between natural evolution and escape so we are content with ascribing it to [a] natural process,” Andersen’s colleague, Dr. Andrew Rambaut, wrote to a group of virologists over Slack in February 2020.

“Yup, I totally agree that that’s a very reasonable conclusion. Although I hate when politics is injected into science – but it’s impossible not to, especially given the circumstances,” Andersen replied.

“You are the one with the preferred political narrative. You said right there,” Comer told Andersen after reading the exchange aloud.

Rambaut, a British evolutionary virologist who also co-authored the “Proximal Origins” paper, refused to appear at Tuesday’s hearing. Fellow co-author Edward Holmes, an Australian virologist, also refused to appear.

Anderson’s testimony was to address certain allegations that Dr. Anthony Fauci and his NIH colleagues improperly influenced the paper’s findings. In March, as part of an investigation into the origins of the global pandemic, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic revealed that Fauci directed and approved the publication of the “Proximal Origins” paper.

National Review continues its report on Tuesday:

Subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R., Ohio) released a report ahead of Tuesday’s hearings alleging the paper was a “Cover-Up.”

The report cites a February 1, 2020 meeting during which Andersen and fellow virologists told Fauci that they believed Covid bore the genetic markings of lab manipulation. Just four days after that meeting, the virologists presented Fauci with a draft paper which poured cold water on the lab-leak theory — a reversal the report attributes to interference by Fauci and then-NIH director Dr. Francis Collins.

“On January 31, 2020, Dr. Fauci prompted Proximal Origin, which’s goal was to ‘disprove’ the lab leak theory to avoid blaming China for the COVID-19 pandemic. Proximal Origin employed fatally flawed science to achieve its goal. And, finally, Dr. Collins and Dr. Fauci used Proximal Origin to attempt to kill the lab leak theory.”

“This is the anatomy of a cover-up,” the report argues.

CONTINUE READING: National Review