https://nataliegwinters.substack.com/p/exclusive-fauci-joined-a-foreign
This article by Natalie Winters on Substack, dated August 14, 2026, details connections between Dr. Anthony Fauci's post-government advisory activities, an Italian research foundation, and federal grant funding from his former agency, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Key Summary Points
* Post-Government Advisory Role:
In March 2023—three months after stepping down as NIAID director on December 31, 2022—Dr. Anthony Fauci accepted an informal, unpaid strategic advisory role with Dr. Rino Rappuoli, scientific director of the Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena (a vaccine and pandemic-preparedness center backed by the Italian government).
* NIAID ReVAMPP Grant:
In September 2024, NIAID awarded over $44 million to Washington University in St. Louis for a research project titled "R2P2-ReVAMPP" (focused on developing vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for potential pandemic viruses). Dr. Rino Rappuoli is designated as a multiple principal investigator and co-director on this project, with Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena listed as a participating institution.
* Italian Procurement Records:
According to Biotecnopolo’s July 2025 procurement filings, laboratory reagents and research services were purchased under accounts explicitly labeled "NIH_ReVAMPP" and purchase orders linked to the NIH grant.
* Article's Central Claim:
The report characterizes these events as a "revolving door" scenario, pointing out that shortly after Fauci joined the foreign center as an advisor, his former federal agency awarded tens of millions of dollars to a project co-led by the center's scientific director and carried out in part at the institute.
The primary ethical concerns raised surrounding this specific situation revolve around standard conflict of interest, revolving door, and federal post-employment questions:
1. The "Revolving Door" & Influence
Critics argue that when a high-ranking official like the director of NIAID steps down and almost immediately affiliates with an entity (or key scientist) that subsequently receives substantial federal grants from that same agency, it creates the appearance of improper influence or a "pay-to-play" network.
2. Post-Employment Ethics Restrictions
Under federal post-employment laws (such as 18 U.S.C. § 207), former government officials face restrictions designed to prevent them from leveraging their recent position:
* Representational Bars: Former officials are generally barred from lobbying, representing, or contacting their former agency on behalf of a third party regarding specific grants or contracts they worked on while in government.
* Senior Employee Cooling-off Periods: Senior executive officials usually face a one-year "cooling-off" period prohibiting communications with their former agency meant to influence official action.
3. Key Distinctions & Defenses
* Unpaid / Informal Capacity: Public reports indicate Fauci's role with Biotecnopolo was as an informal, unpaid strategic advisor. Under federal ethics rules, serving in an unpaid or purely advisory role for an international or foreign entity does not automatically breach laws unless the former official actively participates in representing that entity back to the U.S. government or soliciting federal funds.
* Institutional Grant Recipient: The $44 million ReVAMPP grant was formally awarded to Washington University in St. Louis through a competitive peer-reviewed application process, rather than granted directly to Biotecnopolo or Fauci personally.
