Sen. Rand Paul announced Wednesday that he will seek civil contempt charges against Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The move follows Fauci's repeated invocation of his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, which he used more than 70 times during a congressional hearing focused on the origins of COVID-19.
Paul, the ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, had subpoenaed Fauci to testify after the former NIAID director declined to appear voluntarily. According to Fauci's opening statement, he invoked the Fifth Amendment because he believes Paul has an "obsession" with seeking his arrest and had released over 1,000 pages of his "personal diary" in an effort to embarrass and intimidate him.
"We're going to have a vote next week on contempt. I think there's another legal question that the courts may have to decide upon," Paul stated. "And that is whether or not a presidential pardon offers you complete immunity."
The committee vote is anticipated to fall along party lines, with several Democrats on the panel reportedly defending Fauci during the hearing. The situation remains a developing story.