U.S. Senator Rand Paul, who has accused scientists of conducting dangerous research that created the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, yesterday asked Science to divulge a range of confidential information about its scholarly articles and external private communications on that family of viruses.
His letter seeks all relevant manuscripts submitted to Science, including unpublished ones; peer-reviewer comments and details of editorial decisions; and any coronavirus-related emails to and from certain groups and scientists, including Anthony Fauci, formerly a top official at the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Paul has alleged Fauci helped direct NIH funding to coronavirus research in China and that this work sparked the pandemic when SARS-CoV-2 leaked from a lab.
Paul’s unusual request, which also covers the other five publications in the Science family of journals, was not accompanied by a subpoena. If a subpoena follows, it could raise legal objections. Journals typically keep peer reviews, editorial decision-making, and unpublished manuscripts confidential and several have previously fought off outside efforts to reveal such internal information. In addition, Paul’s request for emails encompasses the Science journals’ staff—a request that could include Science’s News reporters, which would raise First Amendment concerns. (Science’s News staff is editorially independent.) Paul’s office has not said whether similar requests have gone to other research journals.
