Aug. 6, 2026, update:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate committee votes to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress over refusal to answer questions at COVID hearing.
Aug. 6, 2026:
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate committee is set to vote (Aug. 6, 2026) on whether to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress and refer him to the Justice Department for potential prosecution over his refusal to answer questions at a hearing last week focused on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the Republican committee chairman, has said the constitutional protection did not apply since Fauci last year received a pardon from President Joe Biden.
Aug. 5, 2026:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci’s decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment before Congress will be put to the test this week. A Republican-led Senate committee is preparing to vote on holding Fauci in contempt of Congress. A contempt finding could open the door to a federal investigation into whether Fauci had a valid constitutional right against self-incrimination when he refused to answer lawmakers’ questions at a hearing on the COVID-19 pandemic. Republican senators insist a pardon Fauci received from Democratic President Joe Biden left him ineligible for Fifth Amendment protections. But the clemency is by its nature limited, and some legal experts say Fauci has reason to invoke the Fifth Amendment.
July 29, 2026:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci has invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer questions from senators in a Republican-led committee hearing about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wednesday’s (July 29, 2026) move injects drama into the lingering tensions between Fauci and GOP lawmakers over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and accusations he lied about its origins, which he denies. Fauci was subpoenaed by Sen. Rand Paul, who’s led the charge to have the now-retired infectious-disease expert testify again. The hearing is part of a campaign for Fauci’s arrest spearheaded by some congressional Republicans. President Donald Trump says he felt Fauci made bad decisions on masks and shutdowns.
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