Anthony Fauci declines second Senate appearance after contempt vote

Dr. Anthony Fauci has declined a request to voluntarily appear before a second Senate subcommittee following a recent contempt vote by Republican members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. An attorney for the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases stated that compelling further testimony would “impermissibly harass or degrade Dr. Fauci for political purposes.”

The refusal follows a contentious July 29 hearing regarding the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which Dr. Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times. This led to an August 6 contempt vote by the committee.

Republican Senator Rand Paul, the committee chairman, has argued that the Fifth Amendment protections may not apply because former President Joe Biden issued Dr. Fauci a preemptive pardon, which Paul claims removes the risk of federal prosecution. Senator Ron Johnson, chairman of the subcommittee on investigations, is conducting a parallel inquiry into the federal government’s COVID-19 response, including the safety and efficacy of vaccines.