Newly released and published government documents obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request appear to confirm what many, including Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), have long argued — that the National Institutes of Health was in fact involved in funding gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China. (You know, the lab that likely released the coronavirus plague upon the world.) The documents run counter to Dr. Anthony Fauci’s repeated claims that the NIH was not involved in advancing gain-of-function research in Wuhan.

As Rutgers University chemical biology professor Richard Ebright observed, “The documents make it clear that assertions by the [National Institutes of Health] director, Francis Collins, and the [National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases] director, Anthony Fauci, that the NIH did not support gain-of-function research or potential pandemic pathogen enhancement at [the Wuhan Institute of Virology] are untruthful.”

At a congressional hearing in May, Fauci, the nation’s highest-paid bureaucrat, claimed that the NIH “categorically has not funded gain-of-function research to be conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.” And again in a July Senate hearing, a testy exchange occurred in which Fauci called Paul a liar for daring to suggest that the NIH had funded gain-of-function research into bat coronaviruses. For those keeping score, that’s at least twice that Fauci lied to Congress.

Regarding these latest documents, Ebright noted, “The materials show that the 2014 and 2019 NIH grants to EcoHealth with subcontracts to WIV funded gain-of-function research as defined in federal policies in effect in 2014-2017 and potential pandemic pathogen enhancement as defined in federal policies in effect in 2017-present.”

He added: “This had been evident previously from published research papers that credited the 2014 grant and from the publicly available summary of the 2019 grant. But this now can be stated definitively from progress reports of the 2014 grant and the full proposal of the 2017 grant.”

Ebright believes the documents prove that the NIH “systemically thwarted” government oversight, and it now appears that Fauci was a primary figure leading this effort. That certainly explains why Fauci has been so adamant in his denials of the NIH funding gain-of-function research, as he may be the main individual responsible for the push to restart support for this dangerous research.

These documents further illuminate why Fauci was so quick and eager to dismiss the lab-leak theory as a tinfoil-hat conspiracy, while at the same time insisting that a natural origin provided the best explanation for COVID. His later flip-flop came only after evidence to the contrary became so overwhelming he could no longer deny it.

Paul responded to the news by stating: “Surprise, surprise — Fauci lied again. And I was right about his agency funding novel coronavirus research at Wuhan.” Paul also asserted, “He has definitely lied to the American public and he should be held responsible but not just that.” Furthermore, he argued, “The virus in all likelihood came from the lab. I think it’s such incredibly poor judgement that he should be immediately removed.”

One thing’s for certain: No one should trust Fauci ever again.