GOP Sen. Marshall asks HHS to preserve Fauci documents

Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall sent a letter on Tuesday to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra asking him to preserve documents and communications connected to Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Fauci announced on Monday he would retire as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) and as a White House adviser. He rose to prominence as a global health icon during the COVID-19 pandemic but also became a lightning rod for conservative criticism of stringent lockdown policies.

Republicans have vowed to investigate Fauci and his department over their handling of the pandemic. Marshall, in his letter, sought to preserve documents that may aid in that endeavor.

"I write with this official notice for you to immediately take steps to preserve all records and information related to Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Francis Collins currently within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and component agencies," Marshall wrote to Becerra.

"HHS and component agencies, including NIH [National Institutes of Health] in particular, continue to obstruct numerous congressional investigations through refusal to provide responsive information. In additional to withholding information from Congress, private parties note that NIH refuses to comply with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests until forced to do so by court order," he continued.

"It is imperative that all HHS and component employees and officials are advised of their legal responsibilities to collect, retain, and preserve all documents, communications, and other records in accordance with federal law," Marshall went on.

"I ask that you immediately confirm that HHS is preserving these records by providing all orders, notices, and guidance given to all HHS staff regarding preservation of information related to these matters and individuals," he concluded.