US Senate committe votes to hold Fauci in contempt

A U.S. Senate committee has voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress, escalating a political battle over his role in the nation's COVID-19 response. The Republican-led Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved a referral to hold the former top infectious disease official in contempt after he repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during a recent hearing.

Dr. Fauci, who retired in 2022 after leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for 38 years, became a central figure in the U.S. pandemic response. He faced significant criticism from former President Donald Trump and many conservatives regarding measures like lockdowns, mask mandates, and vaccine promotion.

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Dr Paul had summoned him only to force testimony backing the senator's repeated public pledges to see him imprisoned.

During the hearing, Dr. Fauci, 85, invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times, asserting his right against self-incrimination. Committee Chair Rand Paul, a vocal critic of Fauci, pushed for the contempt referral, arguing that Fauci's Fifth Amendment claims were invalid due to a prior presidential pardon and that Fauci waived protections by testifying.

Democrats on the committee expressed strong opposition, with Senator Gary Peters calling the vote a "rushed investigation" that could undermine future congressional inquiries and disregard constitutional protections. The contempt referral typically requires approval from the full Senate, a step that faces significant political hurdles. However, Paul has indicated he might seek to send the referral directly to the Justice Department, potentially bypassing the Senate vote.

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harm our ability to conduct future investigations and disregards constitutional protections long recognized by the US Senate, all without making a reliable case that there is a legal basis for holding Dr Fauci in contempt.