Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has announced an investigation into Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, for potential violations of state law and alleged harms to Florida residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement followed Fauci's testimony before a Senate committee where he invoked his Fifth Amendment right 111 times.
In a statement, Moody said her office will investigate any potential violations of Florida law involving Fauci. The inquiry aims to examine what Fauci knew, when he knew it, and how he may have misled the public. "We will examine the physical and monetary harms to Floridians that may have resulted from his deceptions and determine whether his conduct exposes him to liability under state law," Moody stated.
The investigation is prompted by revelations from Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Paul's committee released internal notes attributed to Fauci, which suggest a private estimation of COVID-19's case fatality rate that differed from his public statements. For example, an entry from Feb. 8, 2020, indicated Fauci believed the case fatality rate was closer to 0.2-0.3%, comparable to influenza, while on March 11, 2020, he testified to the House Oversight Committee that the rate was likely around 1%, making it ten times more lethal than the seasonal flu.
During Wednesday's hearing, Fauci's repeated use of the Fifth Amendment drew criticism. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) suggested that Fauci showed "contempt for Congress and contempt for the American people." Paul's committee is expected to vote next week on whether to hold Fauci in contempt.