Newly-released communications from the early days of COVID-19 reveal efforts by National Institutes Of Health (NIH) officials to hide emails about the pandemic’s origin. If they secretly had doubts, why did officials blatantly lie to the public about their confidence in a zoonotic origin? Former State Dept. cyber official Mike Benz discusses new info, and Dr. Meryl Nass returns with an update on the WHO Pandemic treaty. The NIH emails included references to a “secret back channel” to Dr. Fauci and steps to “make emails disappear” in case of a Freedom Of Information Act request, discovered in messages with Dr. David Morens and EcoHealth Alliance president Dr. Peter Daszak. “We are all smart enough to know to never have smoking guns, and if we did we wouldn’t put them in emails and if we found them we’d delete them,” was written in an email sent on June 16, 2020. “[I] learned from our foia lady here how to make emails disappear after I am foia’d but before the search starts,” Dr. David Morens wrote in an email on Feb. 24, 2021. Mike Benz is the founder of Foundation for Freedom Online, a free speech watchdog dedicated to restoring the promise of a free and open Internet. He is a former State Department cyber official in the Trump Administration, whose responsibilities included formulating and negotiating US foreign policy on international communications and information technology matters. Follow Mike at https://x.com/mikebenzcyber and https://foundationforfreedomonline.com/ Dr. Meryl Nass is a board-certified physician with over 40 years of experience in all areas of internal medicine. She is a nationally recognized expert on epidemics who has consulted for government agencies around the world, especially focussing on anthrax, Zika, Ebola, and biological warfare investigations. Follow Dr. Nass at https://x.com/NassMeryl and learn more about Door To Freedom at https://doortofreedom.org 「 SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 」 Find out more about the brands that make this show possible and get special discounts on Dr. Drew's favorite products at https://drdrew.com/sponsors  • PALEOVALLEY - "Paleovalley has a wide variety of extraordinary products that are both healthful and delicious,” says Dr. Drew. "I am a huge fan of this brand and know you'll love it too!” Get 15% off your first order at https://drdrew.com/paleovalley • TRU NIAGEN - For almost a decade, Dr. Drew has been taking a healthy-aging supplement called Tru Niagen, which uses a patented form of Nicotinamide Riboside to boost NAD levels. Use code DREW for 20% off at https://drdrew.com/truniagen • GENUCEL - Using a proprietary base formulated by a pharmacist, Genucel has created skincare that can dramatically improve the appearance of facial redness and under-eye puffiness. Get an extra discount with promo code DREW at https://genucel.com/drew • COZY EARTH - Susan and Drew love Cozy Earth's sheets & clothing made with super-soft viscose from bamboo! Use code DREW to save up to 30% at https://drdrew.com/cozy • THE WELLNESS COMPANY - Counteract harmful spike proteins with TWC's Signature Series Spike Support Formula containing nattokinase and selenium. Learn more about TWC's supplements at https://twc.health/drew 「 MEDICAL NOTE 」 Portions of this program may examine countervailing views on important medical issues. Always consult your physician before making any decisions about your health. 「 ABOUT THE SHOW 」 Ask Dr. Drew is produced by Kaleb Nation (https://kalebnation.com) and Susan Pinsky (https://twitter.com/firstladyoflove). This show is for entertainment and/or informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices