Dr. Anthony Fauci declined to answer questions during a Senate hearing Wednesday, July 29, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination as lawmakers revisited his role in the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fauci, the former longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee after being subpoenaed by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. Fauci said he was following the advice of his attorney, arguing that Paul’s repeated calls for his prosecution created concerns that his testimony could be used against him.
The hearing comes amid renewed scrutiny surrounding Fauci following the release of hundreds of pages from his personal journals written during the pandemic. Critics have pointed to entries they say raise questions about Fauci’s public statements and views surrounding the origins of COVID-19 and the government’s pandemic response.
Paul and Fauci have clashed publicly for years over COVID-19, federal funding of virus research and whether Fauci was fully transparent with Congress. Fauci has rejected accusations that he intentionally misled lawmakers.
The latest hearing is expected to add another chapter to the ongoing political debate surrounding the U.S. response to the pandemic, the origins of COVID-19 and accountability among federal public health officials.
(Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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