WASHINGTON — A Senate committee voted on Thursday to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt for declining to answer questions about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and past testimony to Congress about risky, US-funded “gain of function” research.
The Senate Homeland Security Committee in an 8-5 vote held the former director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases in contempt of Congress for invoking his Fifth Amendment rights and refusing to testify last week about the pandemic.
The contempt resolution authorizes the president of the Senate, which is Vice President JD Vance, to certify the Homeland Security panel’s report on Fauci to DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro for potential prosecution.
The misdemeanor crime could earn Fauci up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine upon conviction.
In his opening remarks before the July 29 hearing, Fauci had denounced Paul for having an “obvious obsession” with him and trying to put him “behind bars.”
“Fauci faced no risk of federal prosecution. All he had to do was tell the truth,” Paul claimed shortly before the vote. “More than 100 times, though, he refused.”
“The chair ruled that Doctor Fauci’s assertion of the Fifth Amendment privilege was unsupported in light of the pardon and the testimony he offered in his opening statement. The chair directed Anthony Fauci to answer. He refused again,” he added.
Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) chastised Paul and Republicans on the committee for seeking “to punish a witness for asserting their constitutional protected Fifth Amendment rights.”
“Future witnesses will argue that appearing before Congress exposes them to punishment, regardless of whether they comply with the subpoena and invoke a constitutional protection,” said Peters, the top Democrat on the committee.
“The chairman has also suggested he may attempt to refer this matter to the Department of Justice without approval of the full Senate,” Peters added. “That would be even more dangerous.”
Earlier Thursday, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) had indicated that the Homeland Security Committee had obtained a copy of Fauci’s phone from the Department of Health and Human Services — and requested an additional transcribed interview with the ex-NIAID head.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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