The Maine Wire
  • News
  • Commentary
  • The Blog
  • About
  • Support the Maine Wire
  • Store
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending News
  • From Logging Blockades to Abolishing ICE: What Happened to Troy Jackson’s Views on Foreign Labor?
  • Five Candidates Line Up to Challenge for Lewiston Mayor as Sheline Seeks Third Term
  • Jill Biden’s Latest Excuse For Joe: ‘Someone May Have Drugged Him Before Disastrous 2024 Debate’
  • ‘Greedy Political Consultants To Blame For Denying The Risqué Side Of Ill-Suited Graham Platner’
  • Border Czar Tom Homan Was in Maine Days Before Farmers Warned of Possible ICE Surge
  • Sudanese Immigrant Living in Portland Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges, Faces Up to 20 Years in Prison
  • Rockland Woman Busted with Drugs and a Loaded Firearm
  • Maine Awarded $5M in Federal Weatherization Funds
Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
The Maine Wire
Sunday, August 23
  • News
  • Commentary
  • The Blog
  • About
  • Support the Maine Wire
  • Store
The Maine Wire
Home » News » News » CIA Whistleblower Alleges Agency Bribed Experts to Change Their Position on COVID-19 Origin
News

CIA Whistleblower Alleges Agency Bribed Experts to Change Their Position on COVID-19 Origin

Edward TomicBy Edward TomicSeptember 12, 2023Updated:September 12, 20231 Comment2 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Reddit
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Testimony from a CIA whistleblower to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic and Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence alleges that the agency bribed six experts in order to change their position on COVID-19’s origin, according to a Tuesday House Oversight Committee press release.

[RELATED: House Oversight Report: Top Scientists Suppressed COVID Lab Leak Hypothesis to Protect China]

The whistleblower, who presented themselves to the committees as a “highly credible senior-level CIA officer,” testified that six of the seven CIA officers assigned to a team tasked with analyzing the origins of COVID-19 concluded that the virus likely originated from a virology lab in Wuhan, China.

According to the whistleblower, the CIA then allegedly offered significant monetary incentives to six of the experts involved in the investigation in order to change their conclusion in favor of a “zoonotic origin” — that is, contact between animals and humans in a Chinese wet market.

Committee Chairmen Brad Wenstrup and Mike Turner, both Ohio Republicans, sent letters Tuesday to CIA Director William Burns and former CIA Chief Operating Officer Andrew Makridis, requesting all documents and communications related to the intelligence agency’s inquiry into COVID-19’s origin.

[RELATED: House Republicans Demand Answers from DOJ on $280 Billion COVID-19 Relief Funds Stolen by International Criminal Organizations]

The Chairmen are also requesting that Makridis appear for a voluntary transcribed interview on Sept. 26 in order to ensure accountability for the agency’s alleged misconduct.

“According to the whistleblower, at the end of its review, six of the seven members of the Team believed the intelligence and science were sufficient to make a low confidence assessment that COVID-19 originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China,” the Chairmen wrote.

“The seventh member of the Team, who also happened to be the most senior, was the lone officer to believe COVID-19 originated through zoonosis,” they continued. “The whistleblower further contends that to come to the eventual public determination of uncertainty, the other six members were given a significant monetary incentive to change their position.”

Read Chairman Wenstrup and Chairman Turner’s letter to CIA Director William Burns here.

Read Chairman Wenstrup and Chairman Turner’s letter to former CIA COO Andrew Makridis here.

Previous ArticleMassive Migrant Caravan Heads North to US From Panama
Next Article Washington University Will No Longer Prescribe Puberty Blockers to Minors In Response to New Missouri Law
Edward Tomic

Edward Tomic is a reporter for The Maine Wire based in Southern Maine. He grew up near Boston, Massachusetts and is a graduate of Boston University. He can be reached at [email protected]

Latest News

From Logging Blockades to Abolishing ICE: What Happened to Troy Jackson’s Views on Foreign Labor?

August 22, 2026

Five Candidates Line Up to Challenge for Lewiston Mayor as Sheline Seeks Third Term

August 22, 2026

Jill Biden’s Latest Excuse For Joe: ‘Someone May Have Drugged Him Before Disastrous 2024 Debate’

August 22, 2026
0 0 votes
Article Rating
1 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Ken Frost
Ken Frost
2 years ago

Think how much they bribe “experts” (in way of grants) to lie about climate change. Think Ukraine got small % of Americans money most came right back here to fight the on going war at home

0
Recent News

Five Candidates Line Up to Challenge for Lewiston Mayor as Sheline Seeks Third Term

August 22, 2026

Jill Biden’s Latest Excuse For Joe: ‘Someone May Have Drugged Him Before Disastrous 2024 Debate’

August 22, 2026

‘Greedy Political Consultants To Blame For Denying The Risqué Side Of Ill-Suited Graham Platner’

August 22, 2026

Border Czar Tom Homan Was in Maine Days Before Farmers Warned of Possible ICE Surge

August 22, 2026

Sudanese Immigrant Living in Portland Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges, Faces Up to 20 Years in Prison

August 22, 2026
Newsletter

News

  • News
  • Campaigns & Elections
  • Opinion & Commentary
  • Media Watch
  • Education
  • Media

Maine Wire

  • About the Maine Wire
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Commentary
  • Complaints
  • Maine Policy Institute

Resources

  • Maine Legislature
  • Legislation Finder
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Maine Wire TV

Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Steam RSS
  • Post Office Box 7829, Portland, Maine 04112

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

wpDiscuz