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James LeDuc retired as director of the Galveston Lab earlier this year. In 2020 LeDuc was quoted by the Daily Mail regarding the now notorious Wuhan Bat Lady: “Shi has worked alongside many of the world’s top experts on infectious diseases. ‘She is a superb scientist and very nice person,’ said James LeDuc, director of the Galveston National Laboratory, a high-security biocontainment centre in Texas.  ‘She has been very open and collaborative for the decade I’ve worked with her.’” https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8210951/Beijing-authorities-hushed-findings-Chinese-scientist.html

“In an email exchange on August 11, 2014, between Chen and the head of the NIH-funded biosecurity lab at the University of Texas in Galveston, Dr. James Leduc, Leduc provides the initial contact between NIAID (via Chen) and officials at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Leduc told Chen that he had been working on an initiative to “form long-term scientific and technical collaborations with the new BSL4 laboratory” in Wuhan, under the direction of Dr. Yuan Zhiming, with whom Leduc had met “repeatedly.” Leduc adds, “we are already attempting to build the kind of partnership [with the Wuhan Institute of Virology] that I think is envisioned under the GHSA [Global Health Security Agenda].”… “ https://www.judicialwatch.org/documents/jw-v-nih-wuhan-june-2021-00696-pgs-184-186/ See: https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-releases/wuhan-lab-fauci-grants/

Another overlooked actor, Dr. JK Mazet at UC Davis was connected to the Wuhan Institute of Virology by 2013 and almost certainly earlier, but her grants were through USAID-PREVENT: https://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2021/10/23/new-uc-davis-vp-for-grand-challenges-jk-mazet-connected-to-wuhan-institute-of-virology-daszak-ecohealth/

“Biocontainment Laboratory—University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston National Laboratory” is “one of two National Biocontainment Laboratories constructed under grants awarded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/National Institutes of Health (NIAID/NIH), the Galveston National Laboratory (GNL)…“ https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/university-texas-national-biocontainment-laboratory

Not surprisingly, some of the Wuhan workers trained in Galveston: https://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2020/04/11/wuhan-bsl-4-lab-built-within-framework-of-china-france-cooperation-staff-visited-france-the-united-states-australia-for-bsl-4-training-capacity-building/

Halloween Email from the Galveston Lab Director to Tony Fauci.

Email obtained via FOIA exposed in “The National Pulse”:

“From: LeDuc, James W.
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 5:50 pm
To: Fauci, Anthony (NIH/NIAID)
Subject: China BSL4 labs

Tony,

In follow up to our brief discussions at the UT meeting regarding collaborations with the new Chinese BSL4 labs, the US National Academy of Sciences will be hosting a meeting here at the GNL Tuesday, 16 Jan to Thursday, 18 Jan 2018 with counterparts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Wuhan BSL4), the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Kunming BSL4), and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Harbin BSL4). Each of these labs has been constructed and they are about to begin operations. The directors of each of these 3 new labs has agreed to come to Galveston, as has George Gao (if his schedule permits) and about 6-8 other accomplishes [sic] Chinese scientists.
The meeting will focus on a balance of science and operations with the goal of building collaborations and ensuring that the new labs are exposed to US best practices in safety and security. I’m wondering if you would be interested in joining us. This is not a “command performance” so no pressure is intended, but it would be a good opportunity for you to meet and interact on a personal and informal basis with these important leaders of China. We expect about 10-12 senior Chinese and a comparable number of senior US scientists from outside UTMB, plus several UTMB folks. I will be hosting a dinner at our home on Tuesday evening to facilitate informal discussions. Let me know if you’re interested and we can work to accommodate your schedule—again, no pressure. Happy to chat if you like.
Thanks, Jim
James W. Le Duc, Ph.D.
Director
Galveston National Laboratory
University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, TX 77555-0610” (Emphasis added)

Fauci forwarded the email to “NIAID OD AM”, writing “Let us discuss.”

The next day, Fauci replied to James Le Duc:

“Jim:

Thanks for the note and the invitation. Unfortunately, that week in January, 2018 is all tied up for me and so I regrettably will not be able to come to Galveston. Thanks for thinking of me.”

The three FOIA emails as revealed (October 2, 2021) by Natalie Winters, of the National Pulse and the article-commentary are found here: https://thenationalpulse.com/exclusive/foia-fauci-emails-reveal-galveston-lab-training-wuhan/

James LeDuc in 2020: “Speaking to MailOnline, James LeDuc, director of the Galveston National Laboratory, described Shi as a “super scientist”, adding: “She has been very open and collaborative for the decade I’ve worked with her.” See: “FIRING BACK Chinese bat virus expert blasts critics who blame Wuhan lab for coronavirus” by Christy Cooney Apr 22 2020 https://www.the-sun.com/news/719476/bat-woman-coronavirus-expert-china-wuhan-lab/.

Less than a year later, he stepped down as director: “During Galveston lab’s finest hours, director LeDuc retires proud of work” By John Wayne Ferguson, The Daily News https://web.archive.org/web/20210201200020/https://www.galvnews.com/news/article_cc797c12-7a1c-57ab-91eb-d88152960699.html

Within 17 hours, by February 2, 2021, the title was changed to “Galveston National Lab director retires, reflects on pandemic” By John Wayne Ferguson, The Daily News Feb 1, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210203210359/https://www.galvnews.com/news/article_cc797c12-7a1c-57ab-91eb-d88152960699.html

“Wuhan Institute of Virology, International Conferences: Chinese and American scientists discussed policies in response to emerging infectious diseases” Date：24-05-2017  “On 17-19 May 2017, 2nd China-U.S. Workshop on the Challenges of Emerging Infections, Laboratory Safety and Global Health Security was co-organized by U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), CAS and Hubei Society for Microbiology. More than 100 experts from China, the United States, Pakistan and the Republic of Kenya attended the workshop…

Prof. Linda Saif (academician) from Ohio State University, Prof. David Relman (academician) from Stanford University, Prof. James LeDuc, the Director of Galveston National Laboratory, and Prof. George F. Gao (academician) from Institute of Microbiology, CAS attended the workshop as special guests…

this workshop aims at utilizing the advantages of China-U.S. cooperation and collaboration for responding to emerging infectious diseases more positively and guarantee laboratory and global health biosafety”. https://archive.is/BdsCr

Le Duc https://www.cdc.gov/ddid/bsc/profiles.html

“James Le Duc, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology and director of the Galveston National Laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, said that engineering COVID-19 “would have taken an incredible amount of ingenuity. People’s imaginations are running wild.” https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/05/scientists-exactly-zero-evidence-covid-19-came-lab

“James LeDuc, PhD is the director of the Galveston National Laboratory (GNL) located on the UTMB campus. Supported in part by the NIAID of NIH, the GNL is a national resource dedicated to basic research and translational development of diagnostics, therapeutics and preventatives for emerging infectious diseases and pathogens of bioterrorism potential, including those requiring biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) containment. He formerly served as the GNL’s Deputy Director (2008-2010) and Associate Director for Program Development (2006-2008). He also currently serves as the Director for Global Health in the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity and holds the Robert E. Shope, MD and John S. Dunn Distinguished Chair in Global Health.

Dr. LeDuc joined UTMB in late 2006 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was the Influenza Coordinator. He also served as Director, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases (2000-2005), coordinating research activities, prevention initiatives and outbreak investigations for viral and rickettsial pathogens of global importance, including viral hemorrhagic fevers, influenza and other respiratory infections, childhood viral diseases, and newly emerging diseases such as SARS. He served as the Associate Director for Global Health (1996-2000) in the Office of the Director, National Center for Infectious Diseases at CDC, and was a Medical Officer in charge of arboviruses and viral hemorrhagic fevers at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland (1992-1996). He held leadership positions during a 23-year career as an U.S. Army officer in the medical research and development command, with assignments in Brazil, Panama and at various locations in the United States, including the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. His professional career began as a field biologist working for the Smithsonian Institution in West Africa.

He is a member of various professional organizations, has published over 200 scientific articles and book chapters, and is well recognized as an expert in virus diseases, biodefense and global health. Dr. LeDuc is a native of southern California and earned his masters and doctoral degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles. He and his wife Maryellen reside in Galveston and have three grown children and six grandchildren.” https://archive.md/DqG0X

“James W. Le Duc, PhD, MSPH
Adjunct Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

Dr. Le Duc is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Previously, he was the Director of the Galveston National Laboratory and the John Sealy Distinguished University Chair in Tropical and Emerging Virology. He is a globally respected authority and leader on emerging infections, with particular focus on vector-borne diseases. He has more than four decades of biodefense and public health experience. Before joining UTMB, he served in infectious disease leadership positions at CDC and the World Health Organization, and as a career officer in the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command. Dr. Le Duc is a former member of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity and the World Health Organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network Steering Committee, and he is an active member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Committee on International Security and Arms Control. He is a Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and a National Associate of the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences”. https://www.cdc.gov/ddid/bsc/profiles.html

Some of Judicial Watch FOIA emails: https://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2021/07/19/documents-show-wuhan-lab-asked-nih-official-for-information-on-disinfectants-nine-fauci-agency-grants-for-ecohealth-bat-coronavirus-research/

Galveston Lab Links, as this blog reported in April 2020:

Wuhan BSL-4 Lab Built Within Framework of China-France Cooperation; Staff Visited France, the United States, Australia for BSL-4 Training-Capacity Building

Documents Show Wuhan Lab Asked NIH Official for Information on Disinfectants; Nine Fauci Agency Grants for EcoHealth Bat Coronavirus Research

North Carolina-Wuhan Coronavirus Creation & Galveston Lab Coronavirus Studies on Aging Mice and Men