House Republicans seek COVID phone records of Walensky and Weingarten.

Lawmakers investigating the COVID pandemic have once again requested phone call records between teacher’s union boss Randi Weingarten and outgoing CDC Director Rochelle Walensky over concerns of “political interference.” 

Investigation into COVID Pandemic

Lawmakers are investigating the COVID pandemic and have once again requested phone call records between teacher’s union boss Randi Weingarten and outgoing CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. The lawmakers are concerned about potential political interference.

Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) sent a letter to Walensky on Wednesday, just two days before her scheduled departure from the CDC, requesting her phone records and texts with Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers. 

Request for Phone Records

Chairman Brad Wenstrup has sent a letter to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, requesting her phone records and texts with teacher’s union boss Randi Weingarten. The request comes amid concerns of potential political interference.

“During an April hearing with AFT president Weingarten, the Select Subcommittee learned — for the first time — that Ms. Weingarten had a direct telephone line to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. Preserving all phone calls and text messages between the two officials will ensure accountability for any political interference,” the subcommittee said in a press release. 

Preserving Accountability

The Select Subcommittee aims to preserve accountability by requesting the preservation of all phone calls and text messages between CDC Director Rochelle Walensky and AFT president Randi Weingarten. This comes after learning about their direct telephone line during an April hearing.

Wenstrup’s letter also accused the Department of Health and Human Services of failing to produce records in a timely manner, and only producing select documents that could be acquired through a freedom of information request. The CDC is a “major operating component” of HHS. 

Accusation of Obstruction

Chairman Brad Wenstrup accuses the Department of Health and Human Services of obstructing Congress by failing to produce records in a timely manner. He also criticizes the department for only providing select documents that could be obtained through a freedom of information request.

“The Department of Health and Human Services is continuing its pattern of obstructing Congress by apparently only producing documents already made publicly available via the FOIA. As a reminder, FOIA does not apply to Congress,” Wenstrup said in the letter to Walensky. 

Text messages previously obtained by the Fairfax Parent’s Association appear to show a close relationship between Weingarten and Walensky and seem to show Weingarten impacting CDC policy on school closure policy. 

Text Messages and School Closure Policy

Text messages previously obtained by the Fairfax Parent’s Association reveal a close relationship between Weingarten and Walensky. These messages also suggest that Weingarten had an impact on CDC policy regarding school closures.

Weingarten texted Walensky in February 2021 saying that she had heard a “leak” from The New York Times about what was in the CDC’s upcoming guidance for school re-opening, and expressed concern that it was “at odds with [their] discussion.”

“They are running with a full speed ahead angle” for reopening schools, Weingarten wrote. She said the Times sent her a copy of the internal draft guidance that said, “At any level of community transmission, all schools can provide in-person instruction.”

“Hmmm. Argh,” Walensky wrote to Weingarten. 

Following the texts from Weingarten, the CDC released guidance that was different. It said, “All schools have options to provide in-person instruction.” This guideline allowed school districts to stay closed while still saying they were following CDC guidelines. “Middle and high schools in virtual only instruction unless they can strictly implement all mitigation strategies and have few cases,” the guidance added.

Wenstrup requested call logs and texts between Walensky and Weingarten on the CDC’s director’s personal and professional phones by July 12. 

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