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The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted on Thursday (August 6) to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. The decision came after Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment over 100 times during a hearing about the COVID-19 pandemic. The vote was along party lines, with an 8-5 result, led by Republican Senator Rand Paul.
Fauci, a former White House health adviser, refused to answer questions, citing a belief that Senator Paul aims to see him imprisoned. Paul has accused Fauci of covering up the origins of COVID-19 and unnecessarily closing schools. The contempt resolution can now be referred to the Justice Department or brought to a full Senate vote, though it may struggle to pass in the narrowly divided chamber.
Fauci's lawyer described the vote as a "crude political stunt" and criticized Paul for pursuing a personal vendetta. Democrats, including Senator Gary Peters, warned that the vote could set a damaging precedent, deterring future witnesses from cooperating with Congress.
Paul argued that Fauci's preemptive pardon from President Joe Biden negates his Fifth Amendment rights. However, legal experts, like Georgetown Law Professor Abbe Smith, contend that Fauci's actions were legally cautious rather than indicative of guilt.
The contempt vote is part of a broader Republican effort to scrutinize Fauci's role during the pandemic. The committee has also obtained Fauci's iPhone for further investigation. Meanwhile, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a separate investigation into Fauci's pandemic actions.