Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin has requested transcribed interviews with Dr. Anthony Fauci and several Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials as he escalates his scrutiny of the government's COVID-19 pandemic response. Johnson, who chairs the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, alleges that senior FDA officials may have disregarded warnings about flaws in the agency's COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring system.
The request follows a recent hearing where Dr. Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment, refusing to answer questions on 111 occasions. Johnson aims to use the transcribed interview process, similar to that employed by the House Oversight Committee, to gather information for public release and provide "much-needed transparency about the COVID-19 pandemic and the government's response to it, including early treatments and the development, deployment, safety monitoring, and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines."
During Wednesday's hearing, Senator Rand Paul, chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, clashed with Fauci. Paul indicated his intention to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress next week. Fauci, in his opening remarks, accused Paul of an "unhinged obsession" with him. The exchange also saw Fauci's attorney, David Schertler, ejected from the hearing room by security after attempting to speak on his client's behalf. Paul stated that a witness cannot plead the Fifth Amendment and then have their lawyer testify for them, calling the attorney's actions out of order.
Senator Johnson indicated that if the requested individuals do not appear voluntarily for interviews, he is prepared to utilize "compulsory process." Fauci's legal team has been contacted for comment on his planned appearance.