Eighteen Republican state attorneys general sent a letter to congressional leaders on Saturday, urging them to investigate China’s role in the coronavirus pandemic.
The state attorneys general (AGs) sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and other congressional leaders asking that they investigate China’s role and subsequent coverup of their failure to contain the coronavirus.
The attorneys general wrote:
Recent reports suggest that the communist Chinese government willfully and knowingly concealed information about the severity of the virus while simultaneously stockpiling personal protective equipment. In what Secretary of State Pompeo has described as a “classic communist disinformation effort,” the Chinese government, aided by the World Health Organization, appears to have intentionally misled the world over the last 6 months.
The attorneys general include:
- Kansas AG Derek Schmidt
- Nebraska AG Douglas Peterson
- Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron
- Oklahoma AG Mike Hunter
- Louisiana AG Jeff Landry
- Tennessee AG Herbert Slatery
- Mississippi AG Lynn Fitch
- Texas AG Ken Paxton
- Missouri AG Eric Schmitt
- West Virginia AG Patrick Morrisey
- Montana AG Tim Fox
- Alabama AG Steve Marshall
- Florida AG Asley Moody
- Alaska AG Kevin Clarkson
- Georgia AG Christopher Carr
- Arkansas AG Leslie Ruthledge
- Indiana AG Curtis Hill
The attorneys general slammed China for spreading disinformation such as “suspicious” gifts of drones to state, local, and federal authorities as well as “education” grants to American universities connected to the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
They noted that some of their colleagues, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, have filed lawsuits against China. They also noted that many of them are considering similar actions against China.
They also called for Congress to investigate the origins and coverup of the coronavirus outbreak.
“Congressional hearings are critical to our Nation’s understanding of the origins of COVID-19 and efforts and efforts by the communist Chinese government to deceive the international community,” the attorneys general wrote.
The letter to congressional leaders follows McCarthy’s announcement last week that House Republicans reported the creation of a China Task Force to coordinate legislative strategy on all aspects of China while Pelosi continues to investigate President Donald Trump.
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.