Fauci invokes Fifth over 100 times in Senate COVID hearing

Anthony Fauci appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday and declined to answer questions about his role in the COVID-19 response by invoking his Fifth Amendment rights more than 100 times. The former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases faced a subpoena from committee chairman Rand Paul over issues including the origins of the virus and federal funding for research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Paul told reporters after the hearing that the panel would pursue contempt of Congress proceedings against Fauci. The Kentucky senator has long argued that Fauci misled the public on the pandemic's likely lab origins while privately expressing doubts about natural emergence in his own notes. Documents released ahead of the session show Fauci wrote in early 2020 that the first infection was not connected to the Wuhan market, contradicting his public statements at the time.

Fauci's lawyer insisted the former official stood on solid legal ground despite the repeated refusals to testify. Paul dismissed that claim, noting his own medical background does not prevent him from recognizing basic congressional authority. Several Republican senators pressed Fauci on gain-of-function research and whether his agency supported risky experiments in China. He offered no responses.

Sen. Ted Cruz called Fauci the most damaging bureaucrat in American history and said he should face prosecution for perjury and contempt. Sen. Josh Hawley announced plans to close loopholes that allowed federal employees to collect large cash prizes, pointing to records showing Fauci received hundreds of thousands of dollars in awards during his tenure. Sen. Bernie Moreno directly challenged Fauci on the personal and economic costs of the policies he promoted.

Fauci received a broad pardon from President Biden covering activities from 2014 through early 2025, yet he still chose not to engage with the committee. President Trump later said he respected the pardon power but noted questions remain about how it was issued. Fauci was seen hours after the hearing walking near his Washington home and venting to his wife about being shouted at during the session.

The hearing highlighted ongoing divisions over accountability for decisions made during the pandemic. Paul has released extensive records showing differences between Fauci's private communications and his public messaging on virus origins. Lawmakers on the committee said the pattern of evasion only deepens public skepticism toward federal health agencies.