Prosecutors are scrutinizing communications between a New York doctor with ties to the White House and conservative commentator Jerome Corsi.
Records of Dr. Vladimir Zelenko are being examined by Justice Department lawyers after his associate, Corsi, accidentally emailed former Mueller investigation prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky a message meant for the doctor.
In response, Zelinsky, who scrutinized Corsi’s behavior during the 2016 election while on special counsel Robert Mueller’s team, emailed Corsi’s lawyer and requested all communications sent to and received from Zelenko, according to a report by the Washington Post on Thursday.
Zelinsky prosecutes coronavirus-related crimes in the U.S. attorney’s office in Maryland, an endeavor that’s part of Attorney General William Barr’s push to go after fraud related to the pandemic. The Justice Department has charged an assortment of people with fraud, pursuing those who attempt to sell fake cures for COVID-19 and personal protective equipment not in the seller’s possession.
A lawyer who said he is working with Zelenko told the Washington Post over the telephone that federal prosecutors have not reached out to his client about the situation, nor is he aware of any potential law enforcement interest in Zelenko.
“It’s not something I’m familiar with,” Gregory Rigano told the paper on Thursday. “We’re just saving people’s lives that have coronavirus and getting rid of this virus from America as soon as possible.”
Zelenksy regularly consults some of President Trump’s closest allies and has been in contact with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Rudy Giuliani, a personal attorney for Trump, told the Washington Post that he speaks with Zelenko often.
“He’s a very smart doctor,” Giuliani told the paper. “I’ve seen an analysis of Dr. Zelenko’s patient list. There are thousands of people who have been helped by it.”
Trump has repeatedly touted hydroxychloroquine, an FDA-approved anti-malarial drug, as a potential therapeutic treatment for those testing positive for COVID-19. Trump’s remarks have echoed discussions of Zelenko’s work featured on Fox News. The doctor claimed to have treated patients with a mix of hydroxychloroquine, zinc sulfate, and the antibiotic azithromycin. Fox News host Sean Hannity interviewed Zelenko on his radio show about the treatments.
Despite Zelenko’s assertions, there is no established treatment or cure for the coronavirus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that more “definitive studies” are needed on hydroxychloroquine before it or others could be considered “knockout drugs.”
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to remove the assertion that Zelenko was a frequent guest on Fox News, where his work has been discussed. The Washington Post, which originally made the incorrect statement, has also updated its report.
