Dr. Anthony Fauci has refused a request to voluntarily appear before a second Senate panel investigating his role in the COVID-19 pandemic response. An attorney for the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director cited concerns that compelling Fauci to testify would “impermissibly harass or degrade Dr. Fauci for political purposes.”
The request came from Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Johnson has been conducting a parallel inquiry into Fauci and the federal government's handling of the pandemic, including the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
This development follows a contentious July hearing where Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times. Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee subsequently voted along party lines to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress.
Committee chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., has been a vocal critic, suggesting the contempt referral be sent to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Paul has argued that a preemptive pardon issued to Fauci by former President Joe Biden before leaving office removed Fauci's risk of federal prosecution, thereby undermining his basis for invoking the Fifth Amendment. Fauci and his legal team have disputed this assertion.
Paul has spent years investigating Fauci, accusing him of funding "risky" research that may have led to the COVID-19 lab leak in China. He has repeatedly called for Fauci's prosecution.
Johnson's subcommittee has also been gathering records related to the pandemic response. These include Fauci's pandemic-era cellphone and more than 1,000 pages of his personal diary, which were reportedly provided before his July hearing.
It remains unclear if Johnson intends to subpoena Fauci following his refusal to testify voluntarily. Fauci's attorney has not commented on whether Fauci would comply with a compulsory subpoena.