David Morens, a former senior adviser to Dr Anthony Fauci and a senior official at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has pleaded guilty to conspiring to evade public records requests relating to COVID-19 research grants. The guilty plea, entered on Tuesday, was announced by FBI Director Kash Patel and marks a significant development in long-running scrutiny of how federal health officials handled records requests during the pandemic.

The case centres on allegations that Morens sought to conceal or withhold documents that should have been disclosed under freedom of information rules concerning COVID-19-related grant funding. The matter is linked to a wider probe into Dr Fauci's own conduct, with Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill stating that Fauci could face up to five years in state prison if convicted of perjury, as part of a joint investigation being conducted by Louisiana, Florida and West Virginia. A House committee has separately accused a Biden administration cabinet official of concealing a COVID-19-related diary.