Fauci to face contempt vote after refusing to answer Covid questions in Congress

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former chief medical adviser to the White House, is facing a potential contempt of Congress vote after declining to answer questions during a contentious congressional hearing regarding his management of the Covid-19 pandemic.

During his testimony, Fauci invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination over 100 times. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who chairs the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, stated that a vote on holding Fauci in criminal contempt of Congress would occur next week.

Senator Paul commented, "I think there is a very real chance that he could be prosecuted for that." Paul has consistently accused Fauci of attempting to conceal the origins of the coronavirus and of funding research at a lab in Wuhan, China, which some theories suggest is where the pandemic began. Fauci has denied any wrongdoing.

Fauci, who previously headed the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, informed the panel on Wednesday that he was invoking the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution on the advice of his legal counsel. Invoking the Fifth Amendment is not a crime and is a common practice in criminal investigations across the US judicial system. For instance, former President Donald Trump repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment in a 2022 deposition for a civil case against the Trump Organization.

If the contempt resolution passes the committee, it would proceed to the Senate floor. However, it would require 60 votes to pass, making it a long shot as it would necessitate bipartisan support. If approved by the Senate, the resolution would then be referred to the top prosecutor for the District of Columbia for potential prosecution.

Before leaving office, President Joe Biden issued a pre-emptive pardon to Fauci covering his actions between 2014 and 2025. However, Fauci could still face charges for actions taken after that period, including those related to his interactions with the Senate committee. Senator Paul acknowledged that the legal implications of Fauci's pardon and whether it grants him immunity are "another legal question that the courts may have to decide upon."

Presidential pardons only apply to federal offenses, not state-level cases. Florida's top prosecutor announced on Wednesday that he would investigate Fauci, though Attorney General James Uthmeier did not specify what alleged crimes Fauci might have committed.

Senator Paul has repeatedly asserted that Covid-19 likely originated from a leak at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology, a theory that the CIA supported last year. During the hearing, Paul suggested that while Fauci publicly stated Covid-19 had a natural origin, his private diaries indicated a belief that the virus originated in a medical lab. Republicans questioned Fauci about evolving health guidance during the pandemic, which changed as more was learned about the disease. Fauci has previously defended his policy decisions.

Conversely, several Democrats defended Fauci, with Senator Maggie Hassan stating that the hearing was "designed to entrap" him. Meanwhile, President Trump took to social media to call Fauci "crazy," reiterating his belief that the virus originated from the Wuhan Laboratory and accusing Fauci of trying to protect China.

The World Health Organization stated last year that the natural-origin theory, involving the virus spilling over from animals to humans, is the "best supported" by available evidence, but that the matter remains "inconclusive" until more information emerges.

Fauci has received death threats during and after the pandemic. Last year, Trump removed his security protection. Despite facing criticism, Fauci was one of the most trusted members of the US government during the initial response to the pandemic. He was not always at odds with Trump; in 2021, Trump awarded Fauci a presidential commendation for his work on Operation Warp Speed, the US Covid vaccine project.