AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Staff in two US government bureaus warned leaders against pursuing an investigation into the origins COVID-19 because it would "open a can of worms," according to an internal memo viewed by Vanity Fair.
Thomas DiNanno, former acting assistant secretary of the State Department's Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, said in the January 9 memo that staff in two bureaus told managers "not to pursue an investigation into the origin of COVID-19," per Vanity Fair.
DiNanno, appointed by former President Donald Trump, said in the memo that his team had faced "apprehension and contempt" from technical staff, and a "complete lack of response to briefing and presentations" on the matter.
DiNanno was responding to a memo from Chris Ford, acting undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security.
The staff who raised the concerns were from DiNanno's bureau and the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, DiNanno said in the memo.
The theory that COVID-19 leaked from a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan has gained traction in recent weeks, but many scientists still dispute its likelihood.
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