Fauci’s Fifth Amendment Invocation Sparks GOP Backlash at Senate Hearing
In a heated Senate hearing, Dr. Anthony Fauci’s decision to repeatedly invoke the Fifth Amendment has drawn significant ire from Republican lawmakers. The contentious session, led by Senator Rand Paul, centered around the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and Fauci’s alleged involvement in a cover-up.
SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST: During the hearing convened by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, Fauci faced a barrage of questions accusing him of hiding information about the pandemic’s origins. Despite the pressure, Fauci chose not to respond, citing his constitutional right against self-incrimination.
JONATHAN LAMBERT, BYLINE: Good morning, Sacha.
PFEIFFER: Why was Fauci called to testify today?
LAMBERT: Senator Paul subpoenaed Fauci last month as part of an ongoing probe into how COVID-19 emerged. Paul, a frequent critic of Fauci, reiterated claims that Fauci concealed evidence pointing to a lab leak in China. These allegations were bolstered by over 1,000 pages of Fauci’s private notes released by Paul over the weekend.
PFEIFFER: Could you elaborate on these allegations?
LAMBERT: Certainly. Senator Paul summarized his stance as follows:
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
RAND PAUL: Publicly, Anthony Fauci promoted the theory that the virus arose naturally, while privately, he was well aware of a mountain of evidence suggesting the virus originated in the lab.
LAMBERT: Several scientists dispute this characterization, arguing that Paul is selectively using early pandemic examples when scientific understanding was evolving. Presently, most virologists support the theory of animal-to-human transmission.
PFEIFFER: How did Fauci respond to the accusations?
LAMBERT: Fauci noted his extensive experience in similar hearings, having testified over 200 times. He accused Senator Paul of being fixated on him, referencing the release of his diary.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
ANTHONY FAUCI: The only conclusion I can reach is that the sole reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something, anything, that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, quote, “behind bars.”
LAMBERT: On legal advice, Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment rights.
PFEIFFER: But didn’t former President Biden issue a pardon for Fauci before leaving office?
LAMBERT: Yes, Biden’s pardon covers any actions during Fauci’s tenure but not subsequent conduct. Fauci expressed gratitude for the pardon, citing severe threats against him and his family. Stanley Brand, a law professor at Penn State, suggests the hearing aimed to provoke Fauci into making conflicting statements that could be considered perjury, which the pardon wouldn’t protect against. Thus, invoking the Fifth was a logical step.
STANLEY BRAND: Given the background of this, where they’ve made obvious threats to try to prosecute him even before the hearing, I don’t see that he had any real choice.
PFEIFFER: So, did Fauci’s silence shorten the hearing?
LAMBERT: Surprisingly, no. The hearing extended for nearly three hours. Senator Paul and his Republican colleagues persistently questioned Fauci on various lab leak theories. Senator Lankford of Oklahoma even linked Fauci to the recent measles outbreak, attributing it to pandemic-related vaccination disruptions. Fauci consistently refrained from answering, and at one point, Senator Paul even expelled Fauci’s lawyer for attempting to speak.
PFEIFFER: What are the next steps in this process?
LAMBERT: Senator Paul plans to propose a committee vote next week to determine whether to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress for his silence.
PFEIFFER: We might hear more from you on this next week.
LAMBERT: Possibly.
PFEIFFER: Thank you, Jonathan Lambert, NPR’s global health correspondent.
LAMBERT: Thank you.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
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