Senator Rand Paul, R-Ky., expressed confidence that a vote to hold former chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress will pass, stating that he believes the votes are present among Senate Republicans. Paul indicated that if the contempt resolution succeeds, it will be immediately referred to the Department of Justice.
Paul and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs are scheduled to consider the contempt resolution. The action follows Fauci's refusal to answer questions during a subpoenaed testimony last week, where he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
"I think there is a very good chance that we will win the vote," Paul told Fox News Digital. He added, "The next step will be when we send the referral over directly to the Department of Justice."
The resolution, unveiled by Paul, stipulates that if reported from committee, it would be sent to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Paul has been a vocal critic of Fauci for years, particularly regarding the U.S. response to COVID-19. He has previously called for Fauci's imprisonment and sought to compel him to acknowledge the possibility of a lab leak origin for the virus, linked to research allegedly funded under Fauci's direction.
Last week's hearing was intended to be a pivotal moment in Paul's long-standing scrutiny of Fauci. However, Fauci, on the advice of his legal counsel, invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during the session. "Although it pains me to do so because of the respect I have for the legislative branch of government, and my decades-long record of cooperating with Congress under the advice of my attorneys, I will invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution to refrain from answering your questions," Fauci stated.
Following Fauci's extensive use of the Fifth Amendment, Paul initiated the move towards contempt charges to compel testimony. Paul also raised questions about the scope of a full and unconditional pardon granted to Fauci by President Joe Biden, covering actions from January 1, 2014, to January 19, 2025.
"I think there's another legal question that the courts may have to decide upon, and that is whether or not a presidential pardon offers you complete immunity," Paul said. He declined to elaborate further on the legal implications of the pardon but indicated that these points would be presented to the DOJ with the referral.