By The Washington Times (Politics) | Created at 2026-08-06 14:06:47 | Updated at 2026-08-06 15:16:33
1 hour ago
A Senate committee voted Thursday to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to answer senators’ questions about his decisions and actions during the pandemic.
The 8-5 party-line vote stains the once-untouchable head of the infectious diseases division at the National Institutes of Health, who headed the country’s response to the coronavirus.
Usually the next step would be for the contempt resolution to go to the full Senate, where it would likely face a Democrat-led filibuster.
But Democrats said they feared Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Rand Paul would bypass that step and use the committee vote to refer the matter straight to the Justice Department to begin a criminal prosecution.
Republicans cast the vote as a defense of Congress’ power to get answers from unwilling witnesses — and in particular Dr. Fauci, who led the country’s efforts to combat the coronavirus.
“On behalf of the millions of people harmed by Anthony Fauci, resoundingly yes,” said Sen. Bernie Moreno, Ohio Republican, when it was his turn to vote on the contempt resolution.
Republicans had called Dr. Fauci to the committee last week to answer questions about whether the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which he helmed for decades, had funded risky research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. That lab is at the center of suspicion over the origin of the coronavirus.
Senators also wanted to know why he told colleagues to delete emails about the pandemic, and what discussions were going on behind the major decisions on masking, shutdowns and vaccines.
Sen. Rand Paul, the committee chair, has pursued Dr. Fauci for years to get those answers.
Last month, Mr. Paul released two years of entries from Dr. Fauci’s personal journal, with embarrassing details showing the doctor obsessed with his fame, his treatment by the press and the adulation he received from entertainment figures such as Julia Roberts.
This week it was revealed that the committee has obtained a copy of the iPhone Dr. Fauci used while he was at the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Fauci said Mr. Paul has said he wanted to see him “behind bars,” and given that attitude, he was justified in invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Mr. Paul said a 2025 Biden pardon meant there was no legal jeopardy for Dr. Fauci, as long as he told the truth to the committee.
Mr. Paul said Dr. Fauci, in delivering an opening statement denouncing the chairman and the investigation, also waived his Fifth Amendment right.
He rejected the invocation of the Fifth Amendment and ordered the witness to answer.
Dr. Fauci refused, citing advice of his lawyers.
Democrats complained that Republicans were seeking to punish Dr. Fauci rather than pursue answers to questions.
“This resolution will not provide the committee with any additional information or compel Dr. Fauci to provide answers to our questions,” Sen. Gary Peters, the top Democrat on the panel, said.
He said going after Dr. Fauci undercuts Congress’ ability to compel testimony from future witnesses because it upsets a careful balance between investigative powers and respect for witnesses’ rights.
Under the law, if the Senate approves a contempt resolution, then it is forwarded to the U.S. attorney in Washington, who is supposed to bring it to a grand jury to see if there are grounds to open a case.
It’s not clear how that process would be affected if Mr. Paul were to refer the matter after just a committee vote, rather than a vote by the whole Senate.
Dr. Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right 111 times during the hearing.
Some of those were banal questions, such as what color tie he was wearing.
Sen. Josh Hawley said his refusal to answer that question was proof that Dr. Fauci wasn’t worried about criminal prosecution but was intent on obstruction.
“He’s not going to be prosecuted for the color of his tie,” the Missouri Republican said.
Whatever Dr. Fauci’s worries last week, his legal jeopardy has increased this week after Florida’s attorney general issued a subpoena for a wide range of documents relating to his activities during the pandemic.
