This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A new U.S. Senate report released by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Wednesday asserts Biden administration health officials knew about the risks of myocarditis from COVID-19 vaccines, but downplayed the concern and delayed informing the public about the risks of taking the jab.

Fox News reports Johnson, chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, has been investigating the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines. Earlier this year, he subpoenaed the Department of Health and Human Services for records relating to COVID-19 vaccine safety data and communications about the pandemic.

The 55-page interim report states Biden administration officials "withheld crucial health information from the Subcommittee and the public." The report focuses on HHS' awareness of and response to cases of myocarditis, a type of heart inflammation, following COVID-19 vaccination.

Johnson says the records he obtained "contain evidence of the Biden administration's efforts to downplay and delay warning the public about the risks of myocarditis associated with the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines."

The report states that in May of 2021 officials initially considered issuing a formal warning about myocarditis but decided against it:

"Based on the subpoenaed records the Subcommittee has received to date, as well as public FOIA documents, this interim report will highlight records and present a timeline showing U.S. health officials knew about the risk of myocarditis; those officials downplayed the health concern; and U.S. health agencies delayed informing the public about the risk of the adverse event."