The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) debarred EcoHealth Alliance Inc. and its former President Dr. Peter Daszak, formally blocking both the firm and the doctor from receiving federal funds for five years. EcoHealth allegedly failed to report dangerous gain-of-function experiments to the government, which eventually led to the debarment. In the notice of debarment for Daszak, an HHS official wrote that the actions taken were “necessary” to protect US government business interests.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., cheered on the debarment in a statement, calling it “justice for the American people.” Comer went on to slam “bad actor” EcoHealth and “its corrupt former president” for using taxpayer dollars to carry out “dangerous gain-of-function research in China.”
In May, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, which is under the House Oversight Committee, issued an interim report detailing the findings of its investigation into government funding and lack of …