Former ABC News correspondent Terry Moran has claimed that a report he led on the COVID-19 lab leak theory was significantly altered before airing, alleging that Dr. Anthony Fauci had influence over the changes. Moran stated in an interview with "The Fifth Column" podcast that the network overhauled his piece after a copy of the script was reportedly sent to Fauci.
Moran described the experience as feeling the "heavy hand of censorship" at ABC News in early 2021, when he was pursuing the lab leak hypothesis for the program "Nightline." He said the story, which he characterized as laying out information without making definitive claims, uncovered that the Wuhan lab in question had received funding from the Chinese military, contrary to previous statements.
"The day that it is supposed to air, it gets reviewed, and it comes back to me, and it is incomprehensible," Moran recalled. He attributed the changes to lawyers, standards and practices personnel, and, according to what he was told, Fauci. Moran expressed extreme dissatisfaction, stating he could not proceed with the heavily modified segment and has since refused to watch it.
He described the revised report as being filled with excessive caveats and legalistic language, rendering it unintelligible. Moran noted that while he personally felt the lab leak theory was a possibility, he also believed the virus was likely not artificially created. The original report, he said, aimed to present the known information surrounding the lab.
The segment that eventually aired in June 2021 did address the COVID-19 origins debate. It featured Jamie Metzl, who advocated for the lab leak theory, but also included other medical experts interviewed by Moran who were skeptical of the leak hypothesis. The report also featured ABC News medical unit producer Sony Salzman and investigative reporter Sasha Pezenik, who reportedly cast doubt on the lab leak theory.
Moran, who left ABC News in 2025, has also denounced what he described as the "demonization" of Fauci, calling it unwarranted and stating that Fauci, as a public servant, did his best. Neither Moran, Fauci, nor ABC News immediately responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
Recent revelations from Fauci's diaries, published by Sen. Rand Paul, have highlighted discrepancies between his private thoughts and public statements regarding COVID-19, including public health guidelines. The diaries also reportedly detail his interactions with various media figures.
Multiple U.S. government agencies, including the CIA, FBI, and Department of Energy, now consider the lab leak theory to be the most plausible origin of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the scientific community remains divided, with many continuing to support the natural origin theory.