Transcript segment

Baric Transcribed Interview (Redacted), pp.49-50 · baric_ti:utt:00380

Date: 2026-04-10 09:00 (day precision)
Type: transcript segment · interview
recipient: Ralph S. Baric, Harry Kazenoff, David T. Lambeth III, William Henderson, Clark Ervin, Jake Greenberg
speaker: Christina Salazar
Topics: Gain-of-function research

Okay. Was that the only USAID -- I mean, part of this is it's hard for us to understand, too, because it seems like there are different funding streams that all contribute, for very different work, and, you know, I don't know if you're familiar with my boss's questions to Samantha Power on this, but he asked her if USAID funding had ever -- let's see, I have it here. I don't want to misstate it -- I mean, he said, "Does USAID fund gain-of-function research? We have no evidence that USAID has funded gain-of-function research, and we certainly have not authorized gain-of-function research." Then Senator Paul talked about the paper, and her response was that she just said, unequivocally, that USAID has not authorized gain-of-function research. Do you agree with DC.Scheduling@LexitasLegal.com her statement?

Extracted statements

Rule-extracted, not adjudicated. The grade says what may be done with each one; read the document above before relying on any of them.

Statement	Grade	Attribution	Stance
I don't want to misstate it -- I mean, he said, "Does USAID fund gain-of-function research?	quoted / not their view	paraphrase_third_party third-party reporting verb	questions
We have no evidence that USAID has funded gain-of-function research, and we certainly have not authorized gain-of-function research." Then Senator Paul talked about the paper, and her response was that she just said, unequivocally, that USAID has not authorized gain-of-function research.	own voice, substantive	speaker_own	denies

Statement

Grade

Attribution

Stance

I don't want to misstate it -- I mean, he said, "Does USAID fund gain-of-function research?

quoted / not their view

paraphrase_third_party third-party reporting verb

questions

We have no evidence that USAID has funded gain-of-function research, and we certainly have not authorized gain-of-function research." Then Senator Paul talked about the paper, and her response was that she just said, unequivocally, that USAID has not authorized gain-of-function research.

own voice, substantive

speaker_own

denies

In context

A single line often inverts meaning once you see what it answers, so neighbouring messages are always shown.

2026-04-10 09:00 Christina Salazar open

So is there a reason why that correction wasn't issued until 2020?
2026-04-10 09:00 Ralph S. Baric open

Not that I know of.
2026-04-10 09:00 Christina Salazar open

Okay. Was it an attempt conceal the USAID funding?
2026-04-10 09:00 Ralph S. Baric open

I don't know why I would have any interest in doing that.
2026-04-10 09:00 Christina Salazar

Okay. Was that the only USAID -- I mean, part of this is it's hard for us to understand, too, because it seems like there are different funding streams that all contribute, for very different work, and, you know, I don't know if you're familiar with my boss's questions to Samantha Power on this, but he asked her if USAID funding had ever -- let's see, I have it here. I don't want to misstate it -- I mean, he said, "Does USAID fund gain-of-function research? We have no evidence that USAID has funded gain-of-function research, and we certainly have not authorized gain-of-function research." Then Senator Paul talked about the paper, and her response was that she just said, unequivocally, that USAID has not authorized gain-of-function research. Do you agree with DC.Scheduling@LexitasLegal.com her statement?
2026-04-10 09:00 Ralph S. Baric open

I don't know what was in this grant. My guess is that USAID paid for surveillance work that picked up samples that ultimately were used with, you know, in terms of sequence discovery and that sort of thing that we used, and they wanted to acknowledge the fact that the discovery portion of the grant, that that contributed to the discovery portion of the grant. But again, this is not my grant, and it's not in the RO1 that they had with Daszak and Shi were not my grant, so I don't know the intricacies of what was in each and why they felt it was appropriate.
2026-04-10 09:00 Christina Salazar open

In the paper there is a section that makes it clear that the work was done prior to the pause. Is that right?
2026-04-10 09:00 Ralph S. Baric open

Prior to what?
2026-04-10 09:00 Christina Salazar open

Prior to the pause.

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