COVID lab leak theory: Rand Paul says Biden should declassify docs after Energy Department reversal

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., connected Monday called for nan Biden management to declassify authorities documents that reportedly show nan Energy Department assessing nan COVID-19 pandemic apt originated from an accidental laboratory leak successful China.

The Energy Department, which had been undecided connected nan root of nan pandemic, now joins nan FBI successful concluding nan coronavirus apt dispersed owed to a mishap astatine a Chinese laboratory, nan Wall Street Journal reported, citing a classified intelligence study provided to nan White House and cardinal members of Congress.

The development, which was noted successful an update to a 2021 archive by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines's office, prompted Paul to call for greater transparency.

"Classified documents leaked (they should beryllium declassified!) showing scientists astatine DOE judge COVID leaked from Wuhan Lab," Paul tweeted, calling for greater transparency.

REPUBLICANS ERUPT AFTER ENERGY DEPT REPORTEDLY SAYS COVID-19 LIKELY CAME FROM CHINESE LAB: 'WE NEED ANSWERS'

The alleged "lab leak theory," according to which nan microorganism came from a laboratory leak astatine nan Wuhan Institute of Virology successful Wuhan, China, was wide dismissed arsenic a conspiracy mentation and "misinformation" by Democrats, awesome news outlets, scientists, and societal media companies successful nan early stages of nan pandemic.

Paul was hardly nan only Republican lawmakers to telephone for answers and accountability pursuing news of nan Energy Department's assessment.

Congressional Republicans quickly took to Twitter, demanding apologies from those who dismissed nan laboratory leak mentation and for China to beryllium held accountable.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaks astatine a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee proceeding astatine nan Dirksen Senate Office Building connected July 20, 2021 successful Washington, D.C. (Stefani Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)

ANOTHER US AGENCY ASSESSES COVID-19 ORIGIN LIKELY A CHINESE 'LAB LEAK': REPORT

Beyond nan FBI and Energy Department, nan National Intelligence Council and 4 different agencies measure astatine "low confidence" that nan COVID-19 pandemic originated owed to earthy transmission from an infected animal, while nan CIA and different unnamed agency are undecided, according to nan Wall Street Journal.

White House nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan was asked astir nan Journal's study during a Sunday quality connected CNN.

"There is simply a assortment of views successful nan intelligence community. Some elements successful nan intelligence organization person reached conclusions connected 1 side, immoderate connected nan other. A number of them person said they conscionable don’t person capable accusation to beryllium sure," said Sullivan. "Here's what I tin show you: President Biden has directed many times each constituent of our intelligence organization to put effort and resources down getting to nan bottommost of this question."

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China has rejected claims that nan microorganism could person originated from 1 of its labs and has curtailed nan World Health Organization's investigations into nan origins of nan pandemic. The updated intelligence study showing nan Energy Department's appraisal maintains a statement betwixt each nan intelligence agencies that nan pandemic was not nan consequence of a Chinese bioweapons program.