DOE Clarifies COVID-19 Origins Assessment After Confusion

Internal records reveal disagreements and miscommunications within the agency over its analysis of the pandemic's potential lab-leak origins.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests have shed new light on the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic's origins. Newly released internal records suggest the agency's 2023 reported shift toward considering a lab-associated incident as a potential origin wasn't a new analytical conclusion, but rather an effort to clarify earlier findings that became muddled as information moved through the Intelligence Community.

Why it matters

These revelations underscore the importance of government transparency and the role of FOIA in holding agencies accountable. The DOE's internal disputes and miscommunications with policymakers highlight the complexities of intelligence gathering and analysis surrounding the origins of the pandemic, which remains a subject of ongoing investigation and debate.

The details

The records obtained by U.S. Right To Know reveal disagreements among DOE analysts at three national laboratories over the technical complexity of their assessment and whether it was appropriately conveyed to policymakers. A key point of contention centered on the furin cleavage site, a feature of the virus that raised early suspicions of potential lab manipulation. Los Alamos analysts critiqued a paper from the Pacific Northwest lab, arguing it presented a misleading comparison of viruses by omitting crucial genetic context surrounding the furin cleavage site.

  • In August 2022, Republican members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) reviewed a National Intelligence Council (NIC) report and accompanying Q&A document prepared by the DOE.
  • In 2023, the DOE reported a shift toward considering a lab-associated incident as a potential origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The players

U.S. Right To Know

A non-profit organization that obtained the DOE's internal records through FOIA requests.

Los Alamos National Laboratory

One of the DOE's national laboratories that prepared the agency's initial assessment on the COVID-19 pandemic's origins.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

One of the DOE's national laboratories that prepared the agency's initial assessment on the COVID-19 pandemic's origins.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

One of the DOE's national laboratories that prepared the agency's initial assessment on the COVID-19 pandemic's origins.

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI)

A U.S. House of Representatives committee that reviewed the DOE's assessment on the COVID-19 pandemic's origins.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is currently investigating intelligence failures surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, including potential suppression of the lab-leak hypothesis within the Intelligence Community.

The takeaway

These revelations highlight the importance of government transparency and the role of FOIA in holding agencies accountable. The DOE's internal disputes and miscommunications with policymakers underscore the complexities of intelligence gathering and analysis surrounding the origins of the pandemic, which remains a subject of ongoing investigation and debate.