From:
Peter Daszak
To:
David Morens; Keusch, Gerald T; Rich Roberts; Robert Kessler; Aleksei Chmura
Subject:
RE: Zoom meeting with Tony tomorrow
Date:
Wednesday, April 21, 2021 12:43:14 PM
Attachments:
Political letters, bills, re. CoV research in China, GoF etc..docx
Thanks for the email David - comments below. Also please see the attachedword doc with links to some of the political actions that I'm concernedabout. Tell Tony that this is very early days, with most of these comingfrom the Right, and many that can be headed off at the pass by positiveoutreach to Democrats, which I believe people will be doing.I've also put in a link to the new " Covid Commission Planning Group (CovidCPG)" that has no official role from USG, but boldly states as its coremission "to prepare the way for a National Covid Commission". Membersinclude David Relman & Marc Lipsitch and I have heard from many on theconspiracy theory chatter networks online that this will focus partly onadvocating for reduction in biosafety labs, viral work in wildlife, andgain-of-function.Please feel free to share any docs that I've sent to you, with Tony.Hopefully you can do that in a way that avoids FoIA, and if not possible, just show him stuff on screen share on Zoom.Please also see comments below...Cheers,Peter Peter Daszak PresidentEcoHealth Alliance520 Eighth Avenue, Suite 1200 New York, NY 10018-6507USATel.: Website: www.ecohealthalliance.orgTwitter: @PeterDaszak EcoHealth Alliance develops science-based solutions to prevent pandemics and
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I was unclear from your email on a couple points you might clarify.Obviously the Rodgers letter asking you to produce all those dox not onlyoverlaps with the Lauer letter to you, but could not have been writtenwithout the help of a virologist.[Peter Daszak:] I have it on good authority (Ebright's Twitter account) thathe was involved. They are also getting pressured from Jamie Metzl who'sworking with the internet conspiracy networks actively to promote their "Research"Actually, given that there are a few points in the letter that someoneknowledgable about coronavirus virology would have corrected, my suspicionis that the letter was put together with the help of a legitimate scientistwho needs to do more homework on coronaviruses.[Peter Daszak:] you're right..! Metzl isn't a virologist, neither's Ebright.The internet 'researchers' are led by a banker and some junior scientists,many from human genetics, mol boil world.Do you agree, and do you think that person was Ebright? Do you think Relman, Lipsitch, Imperiale, or other current or former grantees might have been involved?I am not sure we ever funded Ebright, but we did fund the others. I wouldlike to think that Relman et all are only mouthing off to the press, but doyou think there is more to it than that, eg, that any of them are workingwith the politicians?[Peter Daszak:] David Relman is talking with reporters a lot about this,including casting aspersions on my motives for speaking out about this virusemerging via wildlife-to-human spillover (he's quoted as saying my motivesare to protect the research I've been doing and reputations of our collaborators). Ebright is very actively (and obnoxiously) critical onsocial media calling me a 'Grifter' on a weekly basis and promotingunsubstantiated arguments for a lab leak. I had to look up what 'grifter'meant at first...Your earlier comments about this proposed investigative committee, and the possible role of these folks in it, are alarming. Can you be more specificabout where this stands and what is being done to forward it and to squelchit?[Peter Daszak:] Nothing's being done to squelch it, and neither should it be - there will be other committees that also pop up. My concern is their bold claim that they're laying the groundwork for a 9/11 type commission(and have a 9/11 commission person involved). It may be that just by sayingthat a lot, and having well known people involved, they end up forming one.They're clearly politically connected and are advocating for this politically. Jerry and I also proposed this in our paper published in HealthAffairs, but we assumed this would be led by NAM or some other well-respected institution.When i speak with Tony i do not want to step into the politics of all this,as that’s not my job and he wouldn’t want me to. If he needs further info
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