September 15 , 2021
The Honorable Avril Haines
Director of National Intelligence
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
1500 Tysons McLean Dr ive
McLean, VA 22102
Dear Director Haines :
On May 26, 2021, President Biden ordered the Intelligence Community (IC) to begin a
90 -day study into the origin of the virus that caused the ongoing pandemic .1 The report, recently
released on August 27, 2021 , did not provide a conclusive assessment on the origin of the virus .2
Unfortunately, the Assessment on COVID -19 Origins (the Assessment) only served to provide
more confusion providing the American public with a vague, two -page unclassified summary .3
This is an unacceptable response that gives the American people little confidence our country is
prepared for the next pandemic .
Therefore, t o assist the Committee with its oversight, we request all raw intelligence
reports, meeting notes, and emails relied upon by the IC to develop the Assessment . Please
provide these documents as soon as possible , but no later than September 29 , 2021 .
The Committee on Oversight and Reform is the principal oversight committee of the U.S.
House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under
House Rule X. If you have any questions about this request, please contact Select Subcommittee
Staff at 202 -225 -5074. Thank you for your attention to this matte r.
Sincerely,
_________________________
James Comer
Ranking Member
Committee on Oversight and Reform
cc: The Honorable Carolyn Maloney, Chairwoman, Committee on Oversight and Reform
1 The White House, Press Release, Statement by President Joe Biden on the Investigations into the Origins of
COVID -19 (May 26, 2021), available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing -room/statements –
releases/2021/05/26/statement -by -president -joe -biden -on -the -investigation -into -the -origins -of-covid -19/. 2 Office of the Dir. of Nat’l Intelligence, Press Release, ODNI Issues Summary of Assessment on CO VID -19
Origins (Aug. 27, 2021), available at https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Unclassified –
Summary -of-Assessment -on -COVID -19 -Origins.pdf. 3 Id.