Senate Committee Votes to Hold Fauci in Contempt for Refusing to Answer COVID Questions

A Senate committee voted Thursday to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress and refer him to the Justice Department for potential prosecution after he declined to answer questions at a hearing the previous week regarding his management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs took the action one week after Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times during his appearance before the panel.

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who chairs the committee, has argued that the constitutional protection did not apply because Fauci received a pardon from President Joe Biden last year and therefore faced no prosecution risk. Fauci and Democrats opposing the contempt resolution countered that he had legitimate grounds to fear self-incrimination given Republican efforts to pursue his prosecution.