The office is recommending he be reinstated during the investigation, the lawyers said. Bright had led the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority since 2016 when he was reassigned last month to a narrower position at the National Institutes of Health.
The Office of Special Counsel "advised that in light of this determination, it would contact the Department of Health and Human Services ('HHS') to request that it stay Dr. Bright's removal as Director of BARDA for 45 days to allow OSC sufficient time to complete its investigation of Bright's allegations," Bright's lawyers said in a statement.
"This is a personnel matter that is currently under review. However, HHS strongly disagrees with the allegations and characterizations in the complaint from Dr. Bright," said Caitlin Oakley, an HHS spokeswoman.
Bright filed a whistleblower complaint earlier this week, alleging that his early warnings about the coronavirus were ignored and that his reluctance to make "potentially harmful drugs" available for treating Covid-19, including hydroxychloroquine, eventually led to his firing.
"I was pressured to let politics and cronyism drive decisions over the opinions of the best scientists we have in government," Bright told reporters on Tuesday.
Bright said in the complaint he raised urgent concerns about shortages of critical supplies, including masks, to his superiors in the Trump administration but was met with skepticism and surprise.
President Donald Trump said Friday that Bright "seems like a disgruntled employee" and has previously alleged Bright is seeking to help Democrats by filing a whistleblower complaint.
"If people are that unhappy, you shouldn't work," Trump said Friday. "To me, he's a disgruntled guy and I hadn't heard great things about him."
The administration has maintained that Bright was moved to the new National Institutes of Health role to work on testing. An HHS spokesperson told CNN on Tuesday that the administration is "deeply disappointed" Bright has not taken up his new role yet, but Bright's representatives say he has not been given any details about the position.
Bright is slated to testify on Capitol Hill next Thursday.
His decision to go public with his concerns last month exposed months of turmoil inside one of the key divisions at HHS charged with responding to the coronavirus pandemic. His allegations raised serious questions about political bias creeping into the government's response to the pandemic and the extent to which Trump's preferences for a drug overshadowed its scientific merits.
In his whistleblower complaint, Bright says he raised concerns about US preparedness for coronavirus starting in January but was met with "indifference which then developed into hostility" by leaders at HHS.
After he initially aired his complaints, administration officials leveled a range of allegations against Bright, including accusing him of poorly managing his office, mistreating staff and failing to consult his superiors on consequential decisions. But Bright's most recent performance review, from May 2019, a copy of which was obtained by CNN, delivered rave reviews for his management of his office and included no criticisms.
His attorneys argue that Bright's removal from his post amounts to a violation of the Whistleblower Protection Act, claiming that Bright "has engaged in numerous instances of protected activity."
In the complaint, he says he is seeking reinstatement as BARDA's director and asking for a full investigation.
This story has been updated with additional background information.
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