Fauci’s Wife Fired in NIH Shake-Up Led by RFK Jr
In a sweeping move aimed at restructuring the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., fired Christine Grady, a senior bioethicist at NIH and wife of Dr. Anthony Fauci, according to Trending Politics. The termination, which took place on Wednesday, is seen as part of an effort to shift the focus of NIH from pandemic preparedness to more immediate health concerns.
🚨BREAKING: Dr. Christine Grady, Dr. Anthony Fauci’s wife and Chief of the Department of Bioethics at the NIH Clinical Center, has been fired from her position along with other agency officials.
Good, this should have happened a long time ago! pic.twitter.com/AT2tYCHTdo
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) April 2, 2025
Grady, whose research primarily dealt with the probability of future pandemics, was among several NIH officials dismissed in what has been described as a broad organizational overhaul. Federal sources familiar with the layoffs revealed that Grady’s failure to thoroughly investigate the lab leak theory regarding COVID-19 was a key factor in her ousting.
An HHS spokesperson confirmed that this restructuring was a part of a larger plan to address current public health issues more directly, moving away from pandemic-era strategies.
The NIH shake-up, which also affected other high-ranking officials within Fauci’s circle, marks a significant shift in how the U.S. government approaches its health policies under Kennedy’s leadership, according to TP. It’s reported that some former bioethicists were offered new positions in distant locations like Alaska, Montana and Minnesota, though there is no confirmation whether Grady received such an offer.
A source speaking to the Daily Caller described Grady as “a good person with a major conflict of interest,” referencing her marriage to Fauci, who has become a highly polarizing figure, particularly among conservative circles. The source claimed that this conflict hindered her ability to fully engage in important ethical discussions, particularly regarding the Wuhan lab leak theory.
“One of the problems when the coverup was going on of the Wuhan lab leak, that whole fiasco, was that they were not listening to anyone giving ethics advice,” the source added.
Several insiders within NIH have admitted that Grady’s position was compromised due to her connection to Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), who faced intense criticism throughout the pandemic, especially from President Donald Trump.
Critics argue that had there been a more independent figure at the table, there may have been more transparency during the early days of the pandemic and in the subsequent investigation into the origins of COVID-19.
“If they had had someone at the table with knowledge of this, they would have said: ‘Hey, do you want to play it this way, or be more transparent?’ Someone could have raised the question,” one official noted.
Another official speculated that Grady could have offered a more ethical approach, saying, “That’s something Christine Grady could have, or should have, done. She wasn’t able to do it because she was Fauci’s wife.”
It was also suggested that private discussions between Grady and Fauci about the pandemic may have further complicated her ability to remain impartial in her professional role.
In addition to Grady, other well-established figures close to Fauci were also caught in the NIH purge. Clifford Lane, who had been with NIAID since 1991, was removed from his position as deputy director of clinical research and special projects. Emily Erbelding, a director at NIAID’s Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, was also dismissed.
Both individuals were involved in discussions about the connection between NIAID and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which U.S. intelligence officials have since linked to the outbreak of COVID-19. According to recent reports, the Wuhan lab was studying gain-of-function research on coronaviruses when an outbreak occurred, which raises concerns about the lab’s involvement in the pandemic’s origins, TP reports.
Fauci’s personal finances have also been a point of contention, with reports showing his net worth rising by more than $7 million since the beginning of the pandemic, reaching a total of over $11 million. Fauci, who retired from government service in 2022, secured a lucrative $5 million book deal for his memoir, further adding to his wealth.
While the NIH restructuring is a clear departure from pandemic-era approaches, it remains to be seen whether Kennedy’s vision for the agency will succeed in the long term. The political ramifications of these moves could have lasting effects on public trust in both the NIH and the broader health establishment.
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