On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin, who chairs the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, reached out to multiple federal entities to call for an investigation into serious allegations against a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Johnson addressed his concerns in a letter to the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
The official in question, Dr. Tom Shimabukuro, who heads the office monitoring COVID-19 vaccine adverse events, is accused of possibly deleting or destroying critical agency records. If proven true, these actions could constitute a violation of several federal laws. HHS recently notified Chairman Johnson about the situation, highlighting the potential severity of the issue.
In his letter, Johnson elaborated on the implications of Dr. Shimabukuro’s alleged actions. “Dr. Shimabukuro’s potential mishandling of his official records is highly concerning. His actions, if true, would have directly obstructed my multi-year oversight efforts of the COVID-19 vaccines and would be in clear violation of my November 19, 2024 demand to HHS, CDC, and the Food and Drug Administration to ‘preserve all records referring or relating to the development, safety, and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines.’ Furthermore, given Dr. Shimabukuro’s role at CDC, which includes monitoring adverse events relating to the COVID-19 vaccines, his communications are directly responsive to my January 28, 2025, subpoena to HHS for records relating to the development and safety of the COVID-19 vaccines. Any attempt to obstruct or interfere with my investigatory efforts would be grounds for contempt of Congress,” he stated.
Senator Johnson urged an investigation to ascertain the extent of record deletion or destruction by HHS officials, including Dr. Shimabukuro, possibly aimed at avoiding congressional oversight or bypassing the Freedom of Information Act requirements.
The public can learn more about the letter from the New York Post, where it is discussed in further detail.
