Fauci Invokes Fifth 111 Times as Diaries Detail Private Doubts

Pandemic policies that closed schools, shuttered businesses and isolated millions now face renewed examination after Dr. Anthony Fauci declined to answer questions more than 100 times during a July 29 Senate hearing. The former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director cited the Fifth Amendment on advice of counsel while facing queries about his role in shaping federal and state responses to COVID-19.

Senator Rand Paul released 1,141 pages of Fauci’s contemporaneous notes the same week. One entry stated the Huanan Seafood Market “was not the source” of the outbreak but merely an “amplifier.” Another recorded Fauci recommending school, bar and restaurant closures directly to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and California Governor Gavin Newsom’s team. A May 2020 note described Fauci as “the most famous and talked about person in the country.”

Republicans on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, including Paul and Senator Bernie Moreno, said the notes contradict Fauci’s public statements and signaled intent to pursue contempt charges. Committee members noted that Biden issued a preemptive pardon covering 2014-2025, leaving open the possibility of state-level action; Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced an investigation. Democrats on the panel, including Senator Maggie Hassan, called the proceeding an attempt to entrap the witness.

Fauci’s lawyer stated his client remained on “solid legal ground.” The hearing produced no immediate vote on contempt, which would require 60 Senate votes to advance. Separate reporting documented Fauci’s earlier text exchanges with journalists, though those records were not part of the committee’s formal questions.