Malliotakis Statement on HHS Debarment of Dr. Peter Daszak, President of EcoHealth Alliance

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) commenced formal debarment proceedings against Dr. Peter Daszak, the President of EcoHealth Alliance, Inc. This move comes one week after HHS issued a government-wide suspension on all funds allocated to the EcoHealth organization.

"I fully support the Department of Health and Human Services' decision to initiate formal debarment proceedings against Dr. Peter Daszak, something that likely would not have happened if not for the work of our Select Subcommittee that has been exposing Dr. Daszak and EcoHealth Alliance's inappropriate actions. Blinded by greed and ambition, Dr. Daszak funneled millions of taxpayer dollars into what was clearly dangerous, if not catastrophic, gain-of-function research, playing a risky game with global health. Taxpayers expect and deserve to have every cent of their hard-earned money used responsibly, especially in critical scientific research that impacts public health. 

"This decisive move by HHS underscores the importance of transparency and sends a strong message that violations of public trust will not be tolerated. I commend HHS for protecting American taxpayers and ensuring government resources are used with integrity, and I'm proud to be a part of the team that exposed their corruptions to achieve accountability. The American people deserve better than Dr. Daszak, and his individual debarment will ensure he never receives funds from U.S. taxpayers again." 

Read the Select Subcommittee’s report titled “An Evaluation of the Evidence Surrounding EcoHealth Alliance, Inc.’s Research Activities” here.

Read the letter from HHS to Dr. Peter Daszak here.

Read HHS's Action Referral Memorandum here.