A visibly rattled Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) announced Wednesday he had scheduled a vote that could see senators hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress, a citation that, if referred to and acted on by the Justice Department, could carry criminal penalties of up to a year's imprisonment and up to $100,000 in fines.
The former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fauci was compelled to appear before the Senate Homeland Security Committee Wednesday to testify on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the roughly three-hour hearing, Fauci repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent.
Near the end of the hearing, Paul, the chair of the committee, acknowledged that Fauci had received a pardon from former President Joe Biden for conduct between Jan. 1, 2014 and Jan. 19, 2025.
Given that Republican senators had also pressed Fauci on his conduct after Jan. 19, 2025, Paul, as the hearing was coming to a close, said he found Fauci's claimed privilege unfounded and explicitly ordered him to answer questions.
Again, Fauci pleaded the Fifth.
“Because you refuse to answer, citing a privilege that is unsupported because of your pardon, this committee has scheduled a vote next week on a resolution certifying your contempt,” Paul said.
Fauci has come under renewed scrutiny in recent days following the publication of thousands of pages from his personal diary, details of which were repeatedly seized on by Republican senators during the hearing.
