Clyburn Urges HHS to Comply with Interview Requests Following New Reports of Political Interference at CDC

Washington, D.C. (September 23, 2020) — Yesterday, Rep. James E. Clyburn, Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, sent a letterto Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar following the Department's refusal to make HHS and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials available for transcribed interviews regarding efforts by HHS political appointees to block the publication of accurate scientific reports related to the coronavirus crisis.

"I am troubled that the Department has not made any of the requested witnesses available, even though recent reports suggest a pattern of political interference is crippling the Department's ability to serve as a trusted source of public health information during the coronavirus pandemic," the Chairman wrote. "I urge you to comply with the Select Subcommittee's requests without further delay so the Subcommittee can conduct this crucial investigation and ensure Americans receive accurate, unbiased health information during this crisis."

The Select Subcommittee's letter explained that in the eight days since its September 14 request to HHS, the urgency of this investigation has only increased. During that time, another 305,000 Americans have been infected and nearly 5,400 more have died from the coronavirus.

In addition, new reports of political interference at HHS have emerged in recent days. For example, CDC added—and then removed—new guidance acknowledging that the coronavirus can spread through airborne transmission, raising questions about whether the Department is suppressing evidence of airborne virus transmission, which could radically change how Americans protect themselves from the virus.

The letter continued: "The serious and ongoing nature of these problems—and the potentially serious consequences for the American public if CDC cannot produce credible public health information during the coronavirus pandemic—makes it imperative that the Select Subcommittee conduct transcribed interviews quickly, without waiting for HHS to produce documents."

The letter asked HHS to confirm by September 24, 2020, whether the Department would make the five requested CDC officials available for voluntary transcribed interviews next week. The letter also renewed the Select Subcommittee's request to interview HHS senior advisor Paul Alexander and offered to postpone Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Michael Caputo's interview until the conclusion of his medical leave.

The Select Subcommittee initially requested these interviews, along with documents, in a September 14 letter to Secretary Azar and CDC Director Robert Redfield.

On September 16, the Department announced that both HHS officials with whom the Select Subcommittee had requested interviews, Mr. Caputo and Dr. Alexander, were leaving their roles at HHS.

On September 18, the Department responded to the Select Subcommittee's requests, refusing to make Mr. Caputo or Dr. Alexander available and requesting "additional clarity" on why the Subcommittee needs to conduct the other transcribed interviews "on such short notice."

Click here to read yesterday's letter to Secretary Azar.

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