The development, which was noted in a 2021 document update through Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines’ office, prompted Paul to call for greater transparency.
“Classified documents have been leaked (they deserve to be declassified!) Apparently DOE COVID scientists leaked from Wuhan lab,” Paul tweeted, calling for more transparency.
REPUBLICANS ERUPT AFTER ENERGY DEPARTMENT SAYS COVID-19 LIKELY CAME FROM CHINESE LAB: ‘WE NEED ANSWERS’
The so-called “lab leak theory,” according to which the virus originated from a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China, has been widely dismissed as a conspiracy theory and “misinformation” by Democrats, the mainstream media. , scientists and social media in the early stages of the pandemic.
Paul isn’t the only Republican lawmaker calling for answers and accountability after the announcement of the Energy Department’s assessment.
Congressional Republicans temporarily turned to Twitter, a not easy apology from those who rejected the lab leak theory and hold China accountable.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. , speaks at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing at the Dirksen Senate office building on July 20, 2021 in Washington, D. C. (Stefani Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)
ANOTHER US AGENCY ASSESSES THE ORIGIN OF COVID-19 LIKELY A CHINESE “LABORATORY LEAK”: REPORT
Beyond the FBI and the Department of Energy, the National Intelligence Council and 4 other agencies assess with “low confidence” that the COVID-19 pandemic originated from the herbal transmission of an inflamed animal, while the CIA and the anonymous firm are undecided, according to the Wall Street Journal.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was asked about the Journal report in an appearance Sunday on CNN.
“There are a variety of perspectives on the intelligence network. Some details of the intelligence network have reached conclusions about one aspect and others about the other. Several of them said they just didn’t have enough data to be sure,” Sullivan said. “Here’s what I can tell you: Preaspectnt Biden has continually asked each and every detail of our intelligence network to put effort and resources into getting to the bottom of this problem. “
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China rejected claims that the virus possibly originated in one of its labs and halted World Health Organization investigations into the origins of the pandemic. The updated intelligence report appearing in the Energy Department’s assessment maintains a consensus among all intelligence agencies that the pandemic was not the result of a Chinese biological weapons program.
Aaron Kliegman is a political reporter for Fox News Digital.