In a bold move for transparency and accountability, Senator Ron Johnson has demanded an investigation after it emerged that crucial records from a top CDC official may have gone missing. Dr. Tom Shimabukuro, the director of the CDC’s Immunization Safety Office, is under scrutiny for potentially deleting records that pertain to the adverse reactions of the Covid vaccine.
Johnson was informed by officials from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that they were unable to locate certain documents under subpoena, sparking concerns that these records might have been erased from the HHS’s email system.
The senator has called on the Department of Justice, FBI, HHS, and the Office of Inspector General to delve into this ‘mishandling’ of records. Johnson underscored the gravity of the situation by stating:
“Dr. Shimabukuro’s potential mishandling of his official records is highly concerning. His actions, if true, would have directly obstructed my multi-year oversight efforts of the COVID-19 vaccines and would be in clear violation of my November 19, 2024 demand to HHS, CDC, and the Food and Drug Administration to ‘preserve all records referring or relating to the development, safety, and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines.’ Furthermore, given Dr. Shimabukuro’s role at CDC, which includes monitoring adverse events relating to the COVID-19 vaccines, his communications are directly responsive to my January 28, 2025, subpoena to HHS for records relating to the development and safety of the COVID-19 vaccines. Any attempt to obstruct or interfere with my investigatory efforts would be grounds for contempt of Congress,” Chairman Johnson wrote here.
Johnson is pressing for a thorough investigation to determine:
- The extent to which officials with HHS and its sub-agencies, including Dr. Tom Shimabukuro, deleted or destroyed official agency records.
- The degree to which these actions were taken to avoid or subvert Congressional oversight or the Freedom of Information Act.
The New York Post has reported here:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doctor in charge of monitoring reports of adverse COVID-19 vaccine reactions has been accused by a Republican senator of mishandling and possibly deleting key records.
Amid this unfolding drama, HHS officials disclosed their difficulty in locating Dr. Shimabukuro’s records as they sought to comply with a subpoena from Sen. Ron Johnson for vaccine safety documentation.
“HHS officials recently informed me that Dr. Shimabukuro’s records remain lost and, potentially, removed from HHS’s email system altogether,” Johnson wrote in a letter addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and acting HHS watchdog Juliet Hodgkins.
The specific records in question remain unidentified, but the challenge in locating them has raised significant concerns about transparency and oversight, as Johnson’s team explained to The Post.
