Fauci refuses to answer 111 times in U.S. Senate hearing, citing fear of 'retaliatory prosecution'

Anthony Fauci, the former director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times during a U.S. Senate hearing on June 29. The hearing, convened by the Senate Homeland Security Committee, aimed to scrutinize the government's COVID-19 pandemic response.

Led by Republican Senator Rand Paul, the hearing focused on the potential lab leak origin of COVID-19 from Wuhan, U.S. government funding for related research, and the appropriateness of pandemic-era policies like mask mandates and lockdowns. Fauci, who led the U.S. pandemic response, has been a target of conservative criticism, with accusations of downplaying the lab leak theory and providing misleading testimony to Congress.

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Pursuant to my lawyer's advice, I respectfully decline to answer based on my rights under the Fifth Amendment.

Fauci defended himself against what he called "baseless obsessions," explaining that he refused to answer questions based on his lawyer's advice. He expressed concern that any slight deviation from his previous congressional testimony could lead to new charges of perjury or making false statements. While President Biden had preemptively pardoned potential federal crimes committed by Fauci before leaving office, new statements made during the hearing could still carry legal risks.

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There will be consequences,” warning that he would consider initiating proceedings for ‘contempt of Congress’.

Throughout the hearing, Fauci consistently responded to questions from Republican lawmakers with the same phrase: "Pursuant to my lawyer's advice, I respectfully decline to answer based on my rights under the Fifth Amendment." He even responded this way to basic questions like the day of the week or the color of his tie, indicating his belief that the entire hearing was a trap designed to elicit false testimony. Senator Paul warned that Fauci's extensive refusal to answer could have consequences, suggesting consideration of "contempt of Congress" proceedings. Conversely, Democratic senators criticized the hearing as a politically motivated effort to incriminate Fauci rather than a genuine investigation into the pandemic's origins and policies.

During the hearing, former President Donald Trump took to social media to call Fauci "crazy," reiterating his own assertion that the virus originated in a Wuhan lab and accusing Fauci of consistently opposing this view and defending China.

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I said from the beginning that the virus came from China, from the Wuhan lab. Fauci strongly opposed and always tried to defend China.