This refers to a real event involving a company called Vaccine Company Inc., which received a $28 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in September 2024. However, the details and implications of this claim require careful examination to separate fact from speculation.
What We Know
The Grant and the Company:
In September 2024, during the final months of the Biden administration (which ended January 20, 2025), the NIH’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) awarded a $28 million grant to Vaccine Company Inc. This grant was intended to fund the development of vaccines for flaviviruses, such as West Nile, dengue, and Zika viruses, as part of a broader initiative involving multiple recipients, including academic institutions like the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, University of Washington, and Vanderbilt University.
Source: Free Beacon article, "Biden Awarded $28 Million to Mysterious 'Vaccine Company' Run by His COVID Adviser and Based out of a Maryland PO Box," published March 5, 2025 [Web ID: 0]; Must Read Alaska, "Linda Boyle: Biden awarded $28 million to a vaccine company that doesn’t have a web page and operates out of post office box," published March 7, 2025 [Web ID: 3].
Company Details:
Vaccine Company Inc. was founded in 2022 and lists a P.O. Box in Bethesda, Maryland, as its primary address in federal records tied to the grant (USA Spending) and its Maryland business registration. However, its business filings across states show inconsistencies: California lists its CEO as Susan Silbermann (a former Pfizer executive), while Massachusetts filings point to a Chicago office linked to its backer, Arch Venture Partners.
The company has a minimal public presence—no website, limited online footprint—and its leadership does not openly advertise their affiliations with it on platforms like LinkedIn.
Source: Free Beacon [Web ID: 0]; AR15.COM post mirroring Free Beacon content [Web ID: 2].
Leadership and Biden Connections:
The company’s chief financial officer is Sonya Bernstein, identified as a former senior COVID adviser to President Biden in 2021-2022 and a member of the Biden-Harris transition team in 2020. Its chief medical officer is Julie Ledgerwood, a former HHS official who worked on Operation Warp Speed until May 2022.
These individuals are the "two former Biden staffers" referenced in the claim. However, their roles in the Biden administration ended before Vaccine Company Inc. received the grant, and there’s no direct evidence they influenced the grant decision while in government.
Source: Free Beacon [Web ID: 0]; California business registration filings cited therein.
Public Reaction and Investigation:
Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) raised concerns about the grant, calling it suspicious due to the company’s lack of transparency, its P.O. Box address, and its leadership’s Biden ties. She wrote to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on March 4, 2025, urging an investigation and potential clawback of unspent funds.
Source: Free Beacon [Web ID: 0]; Must Read Alaska [Web ID: 3]; X posts [Post IDs: 1, 3, 4].
Is There Anything to This Claim?
The claim has a factual basis—the grant exists, the company is obscure, and two of its leaders worked for Biden—but its implications of wrongdoing remain speculative without further evidence. Here’s an analysis:
Evidence Supporting the Claim’s Concerns
Lack of Transparency: Vaccine Company Inc.’s minimal public footprint (no website, inconsistent addresses) and the use of a P.O. Box as its federal contact point raise legitimate questions about its operations and accountability for $28 million in taxpayer funds. The Free Beacon notes it has spent at least $2 million, but what it’s spent on is unclear [Web ID: 0].
Timing and Connections: The grant was awarded in September 2024, late in Biden’s term, and the company’s leadership includes former Biden aides. This proximity fuels suspicion of favoritism, especially since Bernstein and Ledgerwood’s LinkedIn profiles omit their Vaccine Company roles, adding to the opacity.
Precedent of Scrutiny: Other Biden-era vaccine projects, like the $240 million Vaxart contract paused by HHS in February 2025, suggest a pattern of revisiting late-term funding decisions under scrutiny [Fox News, Web ID: 1].
Counterpoints and Context
Legitimate Purpose: The grant was part of a broader NIH program to develop flavivirus vaccines, not a standalone favor. Other recipients were established academic entities, suggesting Vaccine Company Inc. was one piece of a larger initiative [Must Read Alaska, Web ID: 3].
No Direct Evidence of Influence: Bernstein and Ledgerwood left government service in 2022, well before the 2024 grant. There’s no public evidence they lobbied for or secured the funds while in office, though their Biden ties invite speculation.
Business Norms: Startups, especially in biotech, often operate with low profiles initially and may use P.O. Boxes for administrative purposes. The company’s involvement in 2023 mRNA vaccine trials (per Synapse database, cited in Free Beacon [Web ID: 0]) indicates some operational history.
Oversight Exists: NIH grants undergo peer review, and ARPA-H’s process likely involved vetting. Ernst’s call for investigation may clarify this, but no audit has yet confirmed impropriety.
There’s something to the claim: a real grant to a shadowy company with ex-Biden staffers raises red flags, especially given the timing and lack of transparency. However, without concrete evidence of corruption—such as proof the grant was rigged or funds misused—it’s premature to conclude it’s illegitimate. The story aligns with broader narratives of government waste or cronyism, amplified on X and in outlets like Free Beacon, but the leap from suspicious optics to proven scandal requires more data. Ernst’s requested probe, due by March 17, 2025, may shed light on whether this is a case of poor oversight or something more sinister.
For now, the claim is a mix of verified facts and unresolved questions—worthy of scrutiny but not yet a smoking gun.
Sources Cited
Free Beacon, "Biden Awarded $28 Million to Mysterious 'Vaccine Company' Run by His COVID Adviser and Based out of a Maryland PO Box," March 5, 2025 [Web ID: 0].
Must Read Alaska, "Linda Boyle: Biden awarded $28 million to a vaccine company that doesn’t have a web page and operates out of post office box," March 7, 2025 [Web ID: 3].
Fox News, "Multimillion-dollar Biden-era COVID-19 vax project halted by Trump’s HHS," February 25, 2025 [Web ID: 1].
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