Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading figure in the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic, invoked the Fifth Amendment on Wednesday, declining to answer questions during testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC).
Fauci's decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment means he will refrain from answering questions during the hearing. The committee is chaired by Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who has previously accused Fauci of misleading the public regarding the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Paul was expected to focus his line of questioning on Fauci's private journal entries, which reportedly cover the period between December 2019 and December 2022. The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects individuals from being compelled to give testimony that could be used against them in a criminal case.