Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared visibly displeased Thursday, hours after a Senate committee voted to hold him in contempt for refusing to answer questions regarding his COVID-19 pandemic response. The vote by the Senate Homeland Security Committee to refer him to the Justice Department for potential prosecution followed his invocation of the Fifth Amendment 111 times during testimony last week.
Fauci, the former director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), was seen taking out recycling bins at his Washington, D.C., home, with a grim expression. He was later driven away by his wife, Christine Grady, who reportedly made an offensive gesture toward a photographer documenting the scene. Fauci was observed looking out the car window as Grady made the gesture.
The Senate committee's 8-5 vote along party lines concluded that Fauci’s opening statement, coupled with a pardon issued by then-President Joe Biden covering potential crimes between January 2014 and January 2025, precluded him from lawfully pleading the Fifth Amendment. "The assertion of a Fifth Amendment privilege only adheres to those instances where the witness has a reasonable fear of future prosecution, and it must be tailored to any such fear," stated Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), referencing the legal basis for the committee's decision.
Dr. Fauci was subpoenaed to testify by Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has accused Fauci of a cover-up concerning the origins of COVID-19 and of misleading the public. Additionally, three state attorneys general have reportedly issued subpoenas to Fauci as part of a joint investigation into his role during the pandemic.
A misdemeanor contempt charge, if convicted, could result in up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine for Dr. Fauci.