Dr. Anthony Fauci has been held in contempt of Congress following a party-line vote by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The committee plans to refer Fauci to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution after he invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer more than 100 questions during a hearing last week.
Republican lawmakers on the committee questioned Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, about his guidance and decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky argued that a pardon previously granted to Fauci by former President Joe Biden would not shield him from the Fifth Amendment protection in this instance. Paul stated that Fauci's refusal constituted an obstruction of a congressional investigation.
"I ordered him to answer and warned him about contempt, yet he still refused. That is obstruction of a congressional investigation. The Committee will act accordingly," Paul said. He added that if Fauci had "tell[ed] the truth," the contempt vote would have been unnecessary. Conversely, Democrat Gary Peters described the proceedings as a "witch hunt."
The committee also obtained Fauci's COVID-era phone the night before the contempt vote, a development seen as significant for the Republican-led investigation into pandemic-related decisions.
During the hearing, Fauci accused Paul of an "unhinged obsession" with him, and other lawmakers made sharp criticisms. Senator Bernie Moreno called Fauci a "total disgrace," referencing instances where individuals were reportedly penalized for violating government guidelines issued based on Fauci's advice.
Meanwhile, Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin has requested transcribed interviews with Fauci and other Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials. Johnson alleges that senior FDA officials may have ignored warnings about the agency's vaccine safety monitoring system. If the requested individuals do not comply voluntarily, Johnson indicated he is prepared to use "compulsory process" to obtain their testimony. Johnson seeks transparency on the government's COVID-19 response, including early treatments and vaccine development and monitoring.
Fauci's personal diaries were also recently released, reportedly detailing his interactions with celebrities during the pandemic. This marks another development in the ongoing scrutiny of public health officials' actions during the COVID-19 crisis.