National Institutes of Health staffer to ‘retire’ after being outed as author of online attacks against Dr. Anthony Fauci – USA TODAY
Posted: September 23, 2020 at 7:57 am
Dr. Fauci responds to comments from members of President Trump's cabinet that are critical of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Associated Press
WASHINGTON The National Institutes of Health said on Monday that apublic relations staffer who had been using apseudonym on a conservative website to attackDr. Anthony Fauci, who runs the agency, and discount the seriousness of the coronavirus, will retire.
The Daily Beast first identified and reportedthatWilliam B. Crews was also the managing editor of right-leaningwebsite RedState where, under the fake name streiff,derided the governments workagainst thecoronavirusoutbreak, calling it"massive fraud."
The articles directly contradict and demeanthe agency's recommendations about COVID-19. They also trashFauci,the nation's leading infectious disease expert,calling him a "mask nazi," among other insults.
Other media outletslaterreportedthat the NIAID said it "first learned of this matter this morning" and that "Mr. Crews has informed us of his intention to retire. We have no further comments on this as it is a personnel matter."
Many of his posts alluded to coordinated schemes by public health officials to damage Trump politically."Streiff" wrote that the "Trump administration were failed at every turn by" Fauci.
Bob Woodward book takeaways: Trump admits 'playing' down COVID-19 threat
TheDaily Beast reported that the postsbecame increasingly conspiratorial as the pandemic continued.One posted to RedStatein March was titled: When Covid-19 Kills 18,000 People Call Me, But Until Then Stop the Scaremongering.
In June, he wrote, "I think were at the point where it is safe to say that the entire Wuhan virus scare was nothing more or less than a massive fraud perpetrated upon the American people by 'experts' who were determined to fundamentally change the way the country lives and is organized and governed."
Another of his postsimplied that government officials responsible for the pandemic response should be executed.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies during a House Subcommittee on the coronavirus on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on July 31, 2020. (Photo by KEVIN DIETSCH / various sources / AFP)(Photo: KEVIN DIETSCH, AFP via Getty Images)
'He loves his rallies:' Biden says Trump puts supporters at risk with big events while keeping himself safe
Fauci has repeatedly stressed the importance of social distancing and wearing masks, while alsorecently saying the fight against the coronavirus pandemic will only become more strenuous as the year reaches its close.
According to The Daily Beast, Crews has contributed to RedState since 2004, the year it was founded. He haspenned more than 400 posts this year alone, sometimes publishing as many as five a day.
Election 2020: Sen. Kelly Loeffler says she is 'more conservative than Attila the Hun' in new campaign ad
In his role at the NIAIDs office of communications and government relations, Crews did not deal directly with reporters or the public,according to The Washington Post,but ratherinternal communication. According to his LinkedIn profile, Crews has been at the agency since 2007.
Posts on RedState this year have oftenbeen published during the workweek and duringnormal business hours, raising possible questions about the ethical use of taxpayer resources,according the The Daily Beast.
This news follows anothergovernment health agency employee's coronavirus PR controversy.
Michael Caputo, who was the top spokesman at the Health and Human Services,the NIH's parent agency,was accused of trying to manipulate COVID-19 data for political purposes, and ended up apologizingfor espousingconspiracy theories.
Without offering evidence, Caputo, who was the assistant secretary of public affairsat HHS, accused scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of "sedition," and falsely claimed they had formed a "resistance unit" against Trump.
After he apologized, Caputo announced last week that he would be taking a medical leave.
Contributing: William Cummings, USA TODAY
Autoplay
Show Thumbnails
Show Captions
Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/09/21/nih-william-crews-covid-19-fraud-retire-anthony-fauci/5860559002/
- Ask Larry: Will Changes In The Full Retirement Age Reduce My Social Security Benefit At 70? - Forbes - December 22nd, 2020
- 5 Unexpected Sources of Retirement Income -- All Related to Your Home - Motley Fool - December 22nd, 2020
- Considering retirement? Here's why you need to talk about it. A lot. - Minneapolis Star Tribune - December 22nd, 2020
- 3 Moves to Make Right Now if You Want to Retire Early - The Motley Fool - December 22nd, 2020
- Dont Miss These CARES Act Retirement Benefits - Forbes - December 22nd, 2020
- Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, 82, says he will retire 'eventually': 'Hard to know exactly when' - Fox News - December 22nd, 2020
- Don't forget to check your retirement plan. Here are moves to make before the year is out - CNBC - December 22nd, 2020
- Its Time to Change How We Talk about Retirement, Starting with the Word Itself - Kiplinger's Personal Finance - December 22nd, 2020
- LeBron on course to join legends with jerseys retired by multiple teams - NBA.com - December 22nd, 2020
- I'm retired and won't live to see my mortgage paid off. Should I refinance to lower my monthly payment? - MarketWatch - December 22nd, 2020
- Scarborough superintendent plans to retire at the end of June - pressherald.com - December 22nd, 2020
- Katie Compton winding down storied career, will retire in 2022 - Cyclingnews.com - December 22nd, 2020
- How This Couple Retired At 55 With Just $200,000 In Their Roth IRA Account - Yahoo Finance - December 22nd, 2020
- Retired UW computer science professor embroiled in Twitter spat over AI ethics and cancel culture - GeekWire - December 22nd, 2020
- There Are 5 Types of Retirement Savers, New Research Says. Which One Are You? - Barron's - December 16th, 2020
- IRA Guru Ed Slott On Taxes, Retirement & Roth IRAs - Forbes - December 16th, 2020
- Soothing the Retirement Fears of Middle-Class Millionaires - ThinkAdvisor - December 16th, 2020
- Center for Retirement Research: Public pension plans should avoid investing based on social and environmental movements - Yankee Institute - December 16th, 2020
- Tesla Fever: Understanding Index Funds And How They May Hurt Your Retirement - Forbes - December 16th, 2020
- Grand Forks School Board weighs budget reduction, early retirement concerns - Grand Forks Herald - December 16th, 2020
- Andy King to Retire From Arrow Electronics, Inc. - Business Wire - December 16th, 2020
- Top Ford labor negotiator Gary Johnson to retire after 34 years - Detroit Free Press - December 16th, 2020
- Northam to spend $100 million to reduce teacher retirement liabilities - Richmond.com - December 16th, 2020
- Beware these 15 worst states for taxes on your retirement - Yahoo Finance - December 16th, 2020
- 4 pieces of advice to help you retire comfortably, according to people who have done it - Business Insider - December 16th, 2020
- Common Mistakes That Could Derail Your Retirement and How to Avoid Them - Barron's - December 16th, 2020
- Can You Retire a Millionaire With Index Funds? - The Motley Fool - December 16th, 2020
- A Happier Retirement Could Be Yours if You Do These Things - Journal Gazette and Times-Courier - December 16th, 2020
- Report: This Is How Much It Costs to Retire Happy - The Motley Fool - November 27th, 2020
- Retirement reform likely slips to 2021 as Washington finalizes end-of-year spending - Yahoo Finance - November 27th, 2020
- Man fatally shot by relative in FishHawk Ranch home could be retired Marine officer - Tampa Bay Times - November 27th, 2020
- The 10 Best Places to Retire in America - Money - November 27th, 2020
- Pedro Hernandez, retired justice of the peace, dies - Billings Gazette - November 27th, 2020
- Cover Your Biggest Retirement Expense With $300 Monthly in This ETF - Waco Tribune-Herald - October 19th, 2020
- I want to retire next year, but I have $25,000 in credit card debt and a major monthly mortgage payment I also live with my three kids and ex -... - October 19th, 2020
- With interest rates near record lows, retirement may have to wait - Quartz - October 19th, 2020
- 60% of Medicare enrollees worry about health care costs. Here's the best way to pay for them in retirement - USA TODAY - October 19th, 2020
- These are the 5 best places to retire in America - CNBC - October 19th, 2020
- Forget the Rent, Collect the Yield: Why Investors Looking to Retire Early Should Consider REITs - Barron's - October 19th, 2020
- 4 good ways to go broke in retirement - Fox Business - October 19th, 2020
- Americans Are Facing a $3.83 Trillion Retirement Shortfall. Here's What to Do About It - North Platte Telegraph - October 19th, 2020
- Will There Be an End-of-Year Retirement Exodus? - GovExec.com - October 19th, 2020
- How much you need to invest every month to retire with $1 million to $3 million, broken down by age - CNBC - October 19th, 2020
- South Africas unusual electrical plugs, sockets to be retired - Quartz Africa - October 19th, 2020
- A $5,500 withdrawal from your 401(k) could cost you $30,000 - USA TODAY - October 19th, 2020
- 'Blazing the pathway': Retired teacher could become Kansas' first transgender lawmaker - NBC News - October 19th, 2020
- 5 ways HR can help millennials be smarter than their parents about retirement - Employee Benefit News - October 19th, 2020
- Siouxland veterans and service men and women honor retired flags - KTIV - October 19th, 2020
- Im 63, my husband is 70, well have $90,000 a year in retirement how can we claim our Social Security benefits? - MarketWatch - October 19th, 2020
- Retirement investors: Why it's time to stop using the 4% rule - Fox Business - September 30th, 2020
- Regs on retirement-payment withholding updated - Accounting Today - September 30th, 2020
- Empower to buy Fifth Third's $6 billion retirement business - InvestmentNews - September 30th, 2020
- Retirement Savers: 4 Easy Investing Strategies to Implement Now - SCNow - September 30th, 2020
- Need another income stream? Here are 5 reasons to invest in dividend-paying stocks for retirement. - USA TODAY - September 30th, 2020
- 8 Ways to Save for Retirement as a Freelancer - Entrepreneur - September 30th, 2020
- If you're saving for retirement and are in your 50s, it may be time to reassess your plan - CNBC - September 30th, 2020
- This lesser-known retirement savings tool is loaded with tax benefits - Fox Business - September 30th, 2020
- Op-ed: The pandemic has forced firms to offer early retirement plans. Heres what to consider before you decide to pack it in - CNBC - September 30th, 2020
- Even Seniors Who Are Good Savers Stand to Fall Short in Retirement, Report Concludes - Barron's - September 30th, 2020
- Women's Health Care Costs in Retirement Projected to be $200000 More than Men's - Business Wire - September 30th, 2020
- Trinseo Announces the Retirement of Stephen M. Zide and Christopher D. Pappas from Its Board of Directors - Business Wire - September 30th, 2020
- 5 Reasons to Invest in Dividend-Paying Stocks for Retirement - The Motley Fool - September 30th, 2020
- Gardner Fire Chief Richard Ares honored on the eve of his retirement as U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan officially announces $240K grant for his department -... - September 30th, 2020
- Here's what your monthly budget will look like if you retire with $2 million - CNBC - September 30th, 2020
- Parmer to retire as Baptist CEO after more than 30 years - Beaumont Enterprise - September 30th, 2020
- 3 Pitfalls of Only Using a 401(k) for Retirement - The Motley Fool - September 30th, 2020
- Whats your takeoff point? The moment youve saved enough for retirement - The Dallas Morning News - September 30th, 2020
- Your retirement probably won't be anything like your parents'...and that's not good news - MarketWatch - September 23rd, 2020
- This study finds that those who retired early lost brain power - MarketWatch - September 23rd, 2020
- With remote work flexibility, some people opt to relocate ahead of their retirement - CNBC - September 23rd, 2020
- My grandma's secret to a comfortable retirement for the past 22 years - Business Insider - September 23rd, 2020
- Most Americans are behind on their retirement savingshere are some tips to catch up - CNBC - September 23rd, 2020
- Retirement is coming, but it won't be smooth sailing - WATN - Local 24 - September 23rd, 2020
- If youre home-rich but cash-poor, heres what to know about reverse mortgages - CNBC - September 23rd, 2020
- Here's how to take the mystery out of picking the best retirement savings plan for you - CNBC - September 23rd, 2020
- CalSavers will help people save for retirement. What to know - Los Angeles Times - September 23rd, 2020
- College-Based Retirement Communities Have Been Upended by Covid. Are They Still Worth It? - Barron's - September 23rd, 2020
- 3 things to do immediately if you have no retirement savings - Fox Business - September 23rd, 2020
- What NOT to do with your retirement savings in a crisis - MarketWatch - September 23rd, 2020
- Fortis Inc. Announces Retirement of President and CEO Barry Perry and Appointment of David Hutchens as Successor Effective January 1, 2021 -... - September 23rd, 2020