Senate panel votes to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress over Covid hearing

A Republican-led US Senate committee has voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress, escalating a political battle over his role in the COVID-19 pandemic response. The former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a tense hearing last week.

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He had no liability if he told the truth.

The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, chaired by Republican Senator Rand Paul, voted to refer a potential criminal case against Fauci to the Department of Justice. Paul, whom Fauci accused of having an "unhinged obsession" with him, insisted he was not trying to entrap the former health official.

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a one-sided investigation and a rushed process … that could harm our ability to conduct future investigations

However, top Democrats criticized the proceedings. Senator Gary Peters, the ranking Democrat on the panel, stated that the process would not advance public health and described it as a "one-sided investigation and a rushed process." The Fifth Amendment protects individuals from being compelled to provide testimony that could incriminate them.

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Hopefully, this device will address many of the questions he refused to answer at last week’s hearing.

Adding to the scrutiny, the US Department of Health and Human Services provided a copy of Fauci's phone to a Senate subcommittee the evening before the vote. Subcommittee Chair Ron Johnson expressed hope that the device would answer questions Fauci had refused to address. Fauci, 85, had accused Paul of seeking to "embarrass and intimidate" him and put him "behind bars" due to his prominent role in advocating for pandemic restrictions.

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Although it pains me to do so, because of the respect I have for the legislative branch of government and my decades-long record of cooperating with Congress, under the advice of my attorneys I will invoke my right under the fifth amendment of the constitution to refrain from answering your questions.