Congress Wants to Know More About That Secret Chinese Lab in California

Katie Pavlich | August 23, 2023 2:45 PM

In March California authorities discovered an unlicensed, Chinese laboratory operating in secret. After an investigation, deadly pathogens were found in mice and dangerous gain-of-function experiments -- which led to the COVID-19 pandemic -- are suspected of being conducted by mad scientists working on the premises.

Now, Congress wants to know more. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup is asking FBI Director Christopher Wray and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra for additional information as part of a broader investigation.

"It is highly concerning that an unlicensed lab operated by a Chinese company on American soil was apparently conducting dangerous research involving COVID-19 and other viruses. We are committed to investigating the origin of COVID-19, but also assessing the federal government’s ability to keep America safe from biological threats. This assessment is critical to bolstering our ability to prepare for and prevent future pandemics," Wenstrup wrote in a letter Wednesday. "Between May 2 and 4, 2023, staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Select Agents and Toxins inspected the lab and determined at least 20 potentially infectious agents were stored under inadequate conditions. This included Chlamydia trachomatis, E. coli, Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 and 2 (HIV), Malaria, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, known as COVID-19). According to documents, a purported representative of Prestige provided false statements and claimed there were no infectious agents stored at the laboratory."

🚨🚨🚨

How did an illegal, Chinese-owned lab conduct dangerous COVID-19 research on U.S. soil without a license or proper oversight?

This is a massive threat to national security & public health.@FBI, @HHSGov searched the lab. Americans deserve to know what they discovered👇 pic.twitter.com/DS6OIBKHvP
— Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic (@COVIDSelect) August 23, 2023

"Various City and Bureau officials executed a search warrant and found 'several hundred mice that…have been genetically modified to catch and carry the COVID-19 virus.' The mice were being kept in dangerous and unsafe conditions," the letter continues.

Wenstrup is seeking documentation and communication about what specifically was found in the laboratory and has requested transcribed interviews with HHS employees who have knowledge of the situation.