Thread by @thackerpd

National Institutes of Health Is Again Hiding Records About the Pandemic’s Origin disinformationchronicle.substack.com/p/national-ins…
In the latest example, the NIH gave conflicting legal reasons for blacking out emails sent by Scientist Kristian Andersen and Science Magazine Writer Jon Cohen. #FOIA /1

"The agency's behavior here indicates to me that it is trying hard to prevent these records from being made available for public scrutiny,” @JamesCTobias tells me. /2

The NIH sent Tobias a set of 24 emails--first citing #FOIA exemption 6. When Tobias sued, the NIH sent the exact same email, exact same redactions, this time citing exemption 4 & 5. Compare side to side disinformationchronicle.substack.com/p/national-ins… /3

These #FOIA redactions concern emails between Anthony Fauci and Kristian Andersen, who once thought the #COVID19 virus was engineered. After discussion with Fauci, Andersen did a 180, calling suggestions of engineering “fringe” and “crackpot” theories. /4

Some months later, Fauci's NIH Institute awarded Andersen $8.9 million to set up a new centre. disinformationchronicle.substack.com/p/national-ins… /5

The NIH also redacted an email from Science Magazine's @sciencecohen citing exemptions 4 (trade secrets) & 5 (deliberative). QUESTIONS: How is Cohen's email from whistleblower a trade secret? How is Cohen part of the NIH's "deliberative process"? disinformationchronicle.substack.com/p/national-ins… /6

Cohen seems uninterested in the NIH's secretive process. /7

Last week, @RandPaul sent a letter to the NIH Acting Director asking him to explain their #FOIA redaction process. paul.senate.gov/sites/default/… In February, The U.S. Government's Chief Records asked NIH to investigate allegations that agency personnel are shredding documents /8

According to a report by @EMPOWR_us the NIH has been allowing senior NIH officials, including Francis Collins to help redact #FOIA requests before records are made public. disinformationchronicle.substack.com/p/national-ins… cc: @davelevinthal & @gregorykorte /9

.@JamesCTobias continues to litigate w/ the NIH to have the #FOIA redactions removed and to see what is being hidden disinformationchronicle.substack.com/p/national-ins… /END