David M. Morens, a former advisor to Anthony Fauci at NIAID, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges after using personal email accounts to evade FOIA requests related to a terminated NIH grant on bat coronavirus emergence. The Department of Justice announced the plea, which involved two unnamed co-conspirators, attempts to route funds through a private company, and back-channel communications to a senior NIAID official. Sources confirm the actions began after the grant's termination but differ on broader institutional implications.