The Biden State Department ended an inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic that was investigating whether the virus stemmed from a leak out of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Fox News has confirmed. That contractor, according to the official, left the State Department before Blinken’s confirmation. Asher has a history of investigative work tracking money for the AQ Khan network, North Korea's nuclear program, and top Al Qaeda leaders, but has fallen under scrutiny from former State Department officials. David Feith, a former State Department official during the Trump administration, was part of the small team working with Asher on the COVID origin investigation. It also said the idea that the virus may have leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology "extremely unlikely."

Source: Fox News May 26, 2021 13:45 UTC