House Democrats have issued a subpoena for Alex Azar and Robert R. Redfield for documents related to allegations of political interference in educating the American people about COVID-19. Azar is the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Redfield is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director, both were appointed by Donald Trump.
Azar and Redfield have until December 30th to provide all emails and communications related to a series of scientific reports released on COVID-19. In a letter sent with the subpoenas, James Clyburn, leader of The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, said that their investigation “has revealed that efforts to interfere with scientific work at the CDC were far more extensive and dangerous than previously known.”
Alleged Report Altering
According to documents cited in the letter HHS and the White House attempted to block or alter at least 13 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports. Changes that were made include the removal of schools and colleges from an abstract about virus transmission and downplaying evidence of early spread in January.
It is also alleged that political appointees drafted rebuttals discrediting official scientific CDC reports and that political officials retaliated against career officials “who provided truthful information to the public.” The letter also contained emails which revealed that some HHS officials privately advocated for a strategy of “herd immunity”, an uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 that would have likely overloaded hospitals.
According to the latest data from John Hopkins University & Medicine at time of posting, the coronavirus has infected 18,033,605 Americans, killing 319,363.
Attempts to Use Political Influence
The subcommittee alleges that both Michael Caputo, HHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, and senior advisor Paul Alexander tried to use political influence to alter the weekly reports. The purpose of these reports was to provide a scientifically honest update for the public on the status of COVID-19.
Charlotte Kent, editor of these reports, told the subcommittee that Alexander “contacted her directly on numerous occasions to pressure her to make changes to Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports and to seek a larger role in the review process, in violation of longtime CDC and HHS policy to maintain the independence of these reports.”
According to the subcommittee, Kent and other officials were mostly able to avoid implementing these requests. Examples include when Alexander attempted to alter a report about hydroxychloroquine after it had been proven more dangerous than helpful as a treatment, another was when he attempted to change evidence regarding the effectiveness of cloth face coverings and the risks of underlying health conditions with COVID-19.
Destruction of Documents?
The House Subcommittee originally sought to obtain these documents in September but have been met with obstruction from the HHS and CDC. The subcommittee worries that evidence may be being concealed or destroyed as one official alleged that they were told to delete an email from a political appointee. It is hoped that with the release of these documents a more complete understanding to the extent of which these reports were altered may be obtained.
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