Cruz Questions Walz's, University of Minnesota's Affiliation with Wuhan Institute of Virology

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has sent a letter to the Hormel Institute, an affiliate of the University of Minnesota, questioning Minnesota Governor and Vice-Presidential candidate Tim Walz’s (D) alleged involvement with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) via Hormel.

In the recent vice-presidential debate with Senator JD Vance (R-OH), Gov. Waltz shared his experiences in China and personal endeavors in the nation, including his affiliation with a group that took local high school students to the country.

According to Sen. Cruz’s office, WIV has been “credibly implicated” as the origin of the COVID-19 virus under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

“For over a decade, Governor Tim Walz has acted as one of the Institute’s most ardent supporters, securing millions of taxpayer dollars to fund its operations, including over $2 million in federal funding for technology acquisitions and a $5 million earmark to expand your Institute’s reach,” said Sen. Cruz. “The Governor’s support for the Hormel Institute has remained steadfast, continuing even after the FBI concluded on February 28, 2023 that COVID-19 pandemic likely originated from the WIV.”

Moreover, Sen. Cruz attacked Gov. Walz’s affiliations with the Asian nation, questioning his motivations regarding Hormel and their involvement with Walz.

“Governor Walz’s personal connections to China—his honeymoon there, over 30 trips, and public comments downplaying the strategic threat posed by the CCP—only raise further questions about his motivations for promoting your institution,” wrote Sen. Cruz.

Finally, Cruz called out Hormel Institute for its “ongoing partnership” with WIV and the concerns surrounding that notion.

“Your institute’s ongoing partnership with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and by extension the People’s Liberation Army, reflects a troubling disregard for national security concerns…The American people deserve assurance that their resources and institutions are not inadvertently supporting the goals of our chief geopolitical adversary,” said Cruz.

Also, the letter includes a series of questions to the Hormel Institute. They can be read below:

1. How much public and private funding has the Hormel Institute received specifically for projects involving collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV)? Please provide an itemized accounting of all such funding.
2. When did the Hormel Institute first initiate collaboration with the WIV, and what were the specific reasons for choosing to partner with a facility known to have ties to China’s People’s Liberation Army?
3. What actions has the Hormel Institute taken to ensure that its collaborative work with the WIV does not benefit China’s military or pose a risk to U.S. national security?
4. If no such actions were taken, what was the rationale behind this decision?
5. Given the WIV’s ties to China’s military, why has the Hormel Institute not publicly disclosed the full extent of its collaborations with the WIV?
6. If this information has been withheld, please explain why.
7. Please provide all internal documentation or communications related to the Hormel Institute’s partnerships with Chinese research facilities, including but not limited to the WIV.
8. What was the Institute’s reasoning behind continuing its collaboration with the WIV, even after serious concerns about the origins of COVID-19 and the lab’s military affiliations became widely known?
9. How can the American public trust that the Hormel Institute’s partnerships with the WIV are not inadvertently advancing China’s geopolitical goals, particularly in biotechnology and biomedical research?
10. Given the U.S. government’s cessation of funding to other nonprofits with ties to the WIV, what justifications does the Hormel Institute offer for continuing its relationship with the WIV?
11. Why did the Hormel Institute continue collaborating with the WIV after your predecessor, Dr. Zigang Dong, resigned amid an FBI investigation into his failure to disclose foreign funding when applying for grants?
12. The Hormel Institute’s work with the WIV includes research on gene structures and SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase. What measures have been taken to ensure that no sensitive intellectual property or technology has been transferred to China’s military-backed labs during these studies? If no measures were taken, why not?
13. Please provide any documentation or communications between the Hormel Institute and the Office of the Minnesota Governor regarding the Institute’s partnerships with Chinese research facilities, particularly the WIV.

The letter requests a response by the end of October.