--- title: "Comer accuses Becerra of withholding Fauci’s COVID-era diary from Congress" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/comer-accuses-becerra-of-withholding-faucis-covid-era-diary-from-congress" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/comer-accuses-becerra-of-withholding-faucis-covid-era-diary-from-congress" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/comer-accuses-becerra-of-withholding-faucis-covid-era-diary-from-congress.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/comer-accuses-becerra-of-withholding-faucis-covid-era-diary-from-congress" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-19T22:05:24.729Z" source_reported: "2026-08-19T19:59:29.655Z" updated: "2026-08-19T22:05:24.729Z" trust_score: 40 critic_score: 55 hype_score: 65 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-19T23:15:20.409190+00:00" --- # Comer accuses Becerra of withholding Fauci’s COVID-era diary from Congress *House Oversight chair says former HHS secretary failed to produce records requested in November 2023* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 40 of 100, higher is better. All reports rely on anonymous sourcing or second-hand accounts. - Craft 55 of 100, higher is better. No affected party quoted or given right of reply. - Hype 65 of 100, lower is better. Headlines and language overstate the evidence presented. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer accused former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra of withholding Dr. Anthony Fauci’s COVID-era diary and cellphone from Congress. - The diary, spanning over 1,000 pages, includes entries where Fauci discussed his influence over school closures, contradicting his earlier testimony. - Becerra, now a candidate for California governor, has until 2 September 2026 to respond to Comer’s letter. - The diary was later turned over to Senators Rand Paul and Ron Johnson by current HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has accused former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra of withholding records from Congress. In a letter sent on 19 August 2026, Comer cited a November 2023 request by House Republicans for documents containing the terms “COVID-19,” “gain-of-function,” and “Wuhan.” The records in question include a diary kept by Dr. Anthony Fauci during the pandemic and his government-issued cellphone. The diary, which spans over 1,000 pages, was turned over earlier in 2026 to Senators Rand Paul and Ron Johnson by current HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. It includes entries in which Fauci discussed his influence over school closures, a role he denied under oath during a June 2024 congressional hearing. Comer’s letter asks Becerra whether he knew the diary existed, why it was not produced in response to the 2023 request, and whether any Biden administration officials pressured him to withhold it. Becerra has until 2 September 2026 to respond. ## What the coverage left out No left- or centre-rated outlet ran this story. None of the right-rated reports mentioned that the diary was turned over to Congress earlier in 2026 by current HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., as verified by the standards desk. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 100% (6) 0 of 6 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-19T23:15:20.409190+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-19T23:45:15.053Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - All six right-rated reports led on the accusation that Becerra withheld Fauci’s diary and cellphone from Congress. The California Globe and Hot Air, whose full reports are printed below, both quoted Comer’s letter verbatim: Becerra either “intentionally withheld the materials or failed to conduct an adequate search.” The California Globe added that the diary includes entries where Fauci “discussed his influence over school closures, something he previously denied under oath.” - The California Globe described Becerra as “currently running for California Governor” and included a tweet from Fox News Politics that repeated the accusation. Hot Air framed Becerra as “the second-most brain-dead person at the cabinet table” during the Biden administration and suggested he may have been “told to” engage in a cover-up. Both outlets quoted Fauci’s 2024 testimony that the CDC, not he, was responsible for school closure guidelines, contrasting it with the diary’s contents. - The digests from ussanews.com, Bizpac Review, Democratic Accent, and Fox News all carried the same core facts: the November 2023 request, the 1,000-page diary, the deadline of 2 September 2026, and the accusation that Becerra withheld the records. None of the digests mentioned the diary’s contents on school closures or Fauci’s prior testimony. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 1 - mixed: 5 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [ussanews.com](https://ussanews.com/2026/08/19/xavier-becerras-chickens-coming-home-to-roost-accused-of-hiding-faucis-covid-era-diary-and-cellphone) — Xavier Becerra’s Chickens Coming Home to Roost: Accused of Hiding Fauci’s COVID-era Diary and Cellphone - [California Globe](https://californiaglobe.com/fr/xavier-becerras-chickens-coming-home-to-roost-accused-of-hiding-faucis-covid-era-diary-and-cellphone) — Xavier Becerra’s Chickens Coming Home to Roost: Accused of Hiding Fauci’s COVID-era Diary and Cellphone - [Bizpac Review](https://bizpacreview.com/2026/08/19/fauci-diary-scandal-widens-and-now-a-california-governor-candidate-is-caught-in-the-middle-1655517) — Fauci diary scandal widens — and now a California governor candidate is caught in the middle - [democraticaccent.com](https://democraticaccent.com/fauci-scandal-grows-as-top-house-committee-accuses-biden-cabinet-official-of-hiding-covid-diary) — Fauci scandal grows as top House committee accuses Biden Cabinet official of hiding COVID diary – Democratic Accent - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/politics/fauci-scandal-grows-top-house-committee-accuses-california-governor-hopeful-hiding-covid-diary) — Fauci scandal grows as top House committee accuses Biden Cabinet official of hiding COVID diary - [Hot Air](https://hotair.com/david-strom/2026/08/19/hey-javier-i-know-you-are-stupidbut-did-you-conspire-to-hide-faucis-diary-n3818153) — Hey, Xavier, I Know You Are Stupid...but Did You Conspire to Hide Fauci's Diary? ## Questions **What is James Comer accusing Xavier Becerra of?** Comer is accusing Becerra of withholding Dr. Anthony Fauci’s COVID-era diary and cellphone from Congress. The records were requested in November 2023 and include entries on Fauci’s influence over school closures, which he previously denied under oath. Becerra has until 2 September 2026 to respond. **What does Fauci’s diary contain?** Fauci’s diary spans over 1,000 pages and includes entries where he discussed his influence over school closures. This contradicts his June 2024 testimony, in which he stated that the CDC, not he, was responsible for such guidelines. **Which outlets reported on this story?** The story was reported by six right-rated outlets: California Globe, Hot Air, ussanews.com, Bizpac Review, Democratic Accent, and Fox News. No left- or centre-rated outlet carried the story, according to the material provided. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/comer-accuses-becerra-of-withholding-faucis-covid-era-diary-from-congress. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Comer accuses Becerra of withholding Fauci’s COVID-era diary from Congress", https://mediabias.news/politics/comer-accuses-becerra-of-withholding-faucis-covid-era-diary-from-congress