The Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has obtained a copy of Dr. Anthony Fauci's phone from the COVID-19 era, according to reports. This development comes as the subcommittee prepares to vote on whether to hold Fauci in contempt for refusing to answer questions during a recent hearing.
During the hearing, Fauci, who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times. The questions posed by senators focused on the handling of public health measures during the pandemic.
The Department of Health and Human Services has provided a copy of Fauci's phone to the subcommittee for review. A spokesperson for Senator Ron Johnson, the subcommittee's chair, confirmed that Fauci used the phone while in his official capacity during the pandemic.
The subcommittee has been seeking documents related to the administration's pandemic response. Earlier this week, Fauci's journals were released as part of the ongoing investigation. Sources familiar with the inquiry indicated that Senators Johnson and Rand Paul have received millions of documents pertaining to Fauci from government servers and continue to pursue additional records.
The vote on whether to hold Dr. Fauci in contempt is scheduled for Thursday.