Senate panel moves to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt after Fifth Amendment invocation
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Republican senators on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee plan to vote on a contempt of Congress resolution against Dr. Anthony Fauci, who declined to answer numerous questions during a recent hearing.
Senate Republicans on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will vote Thursday on a resolution to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after he repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right during a hearing last week. Committee Chairman Rand Paul said Fauci "ordered him to answer and warned him about contempt, yet he still refused," calling the refusal "obstruction of a congressional investigation."
If the resolution passes, the committee may refer the matter to the Justice Department or request a full Senate vote. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro could seek an indictment, which would require a grand jury in the District of Columbia.
Paul argued that Fauci’s pre-emptive pardon by Joe Biden does not shield him from contempt, and that his opening testimony constituted a waiver of Fifth Amendment protection. Georgetown Law professor Abbe Smith disputed that interpretation, noting that the legal effect of a pre-emptive pardon is unclear and that an opening statement does not constitute a waiver of the right to remain silent.
The move follows years of partisan disputes over Fauci’s role in the COVID-19 response. Paul has previously accused Fauci of lying to Congress and destroying records, suggesting such conduct could merit felony charges. Fauci’s attorney, David Schertler, described the effort as an "obsessive vendetta" and rejected the allegations.
Democrats on the committee defended Fauci and characterized the hearing as a "fishing expedition," while Fauci himself said the proceedings appeared designed to elicit statements that could be used to pursue criminal charges.