Democrats widen their investigation into Trump's pandemic response and 'bullying' of scientists: House committee asks to interview 11 staffers over claims CDC were asked to stop publishing 'hit piece' Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports

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House Democrats are expanding their investigation into Trump's Health Department after accusing the former president's administration of 'meddling' with CDC data during the COVID pandemic - including efforts to alter an apolitical CDC report that were allegedly hidden by then-CDC head Robert Redfield.  

According to documents released Monday, Democrats on the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis are looking to interview three former Trump officials and eight current or former public health officials they allege were part of Trump's 'failed response efforts.' 

Among the allegations is one official's account that Redfield 'ordered staff to destroy evidence of political interference,' lawmakers claim.

The committee members accused Trump officials of engaging 'in a persistent pattern of political interference in the nation’s pandemic response—overruling and bullying our nation’s scientists and making decisions that allowed the virus to spread more rapidly in an attempt to advance former President Trump’s electoral prospects.'

Democrats on the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis widened their probe into Trump officials' handling of the COVID pandemic, including requesting interviews with 11 current or former CDC officials (pictured from left to right: Three subcommittee members including Chair James Clyburn, Rep. Jamie Raskin and Rep. Maxine Waters)

The subcommittee, led by Rep. James Clyburn, claims it is aware of 88 instances of the Trump administration interfering with the US pandemic response, including several instances where Trump-era officials sought to alter the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR).

MMWR reports offer regular public updates on scientists' findings.

One email from August 2020 obtained by the Democrats shows former HHS adviser Paul Alexander demanding an 'immediate stop' to the apolitical reports, calling them 'hit pieces on the administration.' 

Alexander went on to outline conditions in which the reports can be released, which include giving him leave to alter the information within to ensure it is 'fair and balanced.'

The email was sent to lawmakers by Dr. Charlotte Kent, editor-in-chief of the MMWR report, who told them she was instructed to delete the email by Redfield. 

Former CDC Director Robert Redfield was accused of allegedly trying to suppress a damning email from an official seeking to stop publication of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports 

House Democrats have accused Trump (pictured during a March 2020 COVID briefing) officials of trying to 'bully' top scientists and making decisions that made the virus 'spread more rapidly'

'Dr. Kent stated that she was instructed to delete Dr. Alexander’s email on August 9, and that she understood the direction came from Dr. Redfield,' lawmakers wrote in a letter addressed to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and current CDC head Rochelle Walensky.

Lawmakers also said the White House refused to have Redfield sit down for an interview after learning about the allegations, and 'abruptly canceled' four other scheduled interviews with officials.  

'Our public health institutions must never again be compromised by decision makers more concerned with politics than keeping Americans safe,' the letter read. 

They also asked to interview six current members of the HHS staff.

Democrats outlined their newly-released findings in a letter to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky (pictured July 20) and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra (pictured July 22).

'These requests are consistent with the House of Representatives’ authorization...“to conduct a full and complete investigation” of “issues related to the coronavirus crisis,” including the “preparedness for and response to the coronavirus crisis” and “executive branch policies, deliberations, decisions, activities, and internal and external communications related to the coronavirus crisis,' lawmakers write.

The House Democrats also wrote letters requesting interviews with top Trump CDC advisers Amanda Campbell, ex-CDC deputy chief of staff, Kyle McGowan, ex-CDC chief of staff and Nina Witkofsky, ex-acting chief of staff and senior adviser at the CDC.  

Campbell and McGowan were both cc'd on Alexander's August 2020 email and previously spoke out against the administration's alleged efforts to blunt the CDC's ability to report data.

Lawmakers requested interviews with Trump CDC advisers Amanda Campbell, ex-CDC deputy chief of staff (right), Kyle McGowan, ex-CDC chief of staff (center) and Nina Witkofsky, ex-acting chief of staff and senior adviser at the CDC (right)

More than 34 million COVID cases have struck the US so far, and more than 610,000 people died from the virus. 

In their letter to Campbell Democrats claim they obtained evidence of the Trump administration's 'dangerous attempt to achieve herd immunity,' changing CDC guidance to reduce COVID testing rates and pursuing 'questionable coronavirus treatments over the objections of scientists.'

'These incidents—many of which occurred while you were at CDC—degraded every major facet of the prior Administration’s public health response and severely hindered the country’s ability to respond effectively to the pandemic,' they write.