Fauci Directed Deletion of 2012 Email Criticizing NIAID-Funded H5N1 Gain-of-Function Research, New Documents Show

Documents released August 29, 2026, by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) reveal that in a March 4, 2012, email, Dr. Anthony Fauci instructed a senior NIAID official to delete correspondence discussing an op-ed critical of risky H5N1 influenza research funded by his agency. The email, sent to Dr. Clifford Lane, stated: “Please delete this e-mail and then delete from the deleted file.”

The exchange concerned an op-ed by Phil Boffey criticizing experiments led by Ron Fouchier that created a more transmissible H5N1 virus. Fauci expressed frustration that the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity’s recommendation to redact key details was misguided and could harm the field of influenza transmissibility research. He noted that “people are getting to” Boffey.

This 2012 directive was one of at least five instances where Fauci instructed aides to delete emails, spanning 2009 to 2020, according to the released records. Weeks later, Fauci co-authored a Washington Post op-ed defending the research as conducted in secure labs and valuable for understanding viral mutations.

The revelations add to ongoing scrutiny of Fauci’s record-keeping practices amid broader debates over gain-of-function research and federal transparency. Paul has referred Fauci to the Department of Justice and highlighted contradictions with prior congressional testimony. Fauci received a preemptive pardon from President Biden covering 2014–2025. Related investigations have also examined NIAID funding of coronavirus research in China.

The documents were entered into the record during Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee proceedings involving Fauci’s testimony.