Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who has been nominated as the Democratic vice presidential candidate, is reported to have secured millions of dollars in funding for a laboratory that collaborated with China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), which many believe is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The Washington Examiner revealed this information based on records it reviewed, stating that Walz helped the Hormel Institute (HI) – part of the University of Minnesota (UMN) – obtain a total of $7 million during his time as a congressman. The HI worked with the WIV on various projects including COVID-19 research in 2020 and bacteria research in 2024. Walz has been involved with the HI for over a decade, attending meetings and touring the research center. Records reveal that the Minnesota Governor has received gratitude from the Institute for his efforts in securing millions of dollars in funding.
In addition to working with WIV on COVID-19 research, HI also collaborated with Chinese institutions on a study published in EMBO Journal in 2020 and another paper on bacterial transcription activation due for publication in January 2024. Critics argue that no U.S. research center should collaborate with WIV, which has ties to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and is engaged in classified research since at least 2017. Despite these concerns, the University of Minnesota maintains that it has no formal affiliation with the WIV and is committed to compliance with federal disclosure, security, export controls, and sanctions rules.