US Senate committe votes to hold Fauci in contempt

The US Senate's Republican-led Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has voted to charge Dr Anthony Fauci with contempt of Congress. The move was prompted by Fauci's refusal to answer questions about his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic during a recent hearing. Fauci, who served as the nation's top infectious disease expert for 38 years, invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during the hearing.

He led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and was a key figure in the US pandemic response. The Republican chairman of the committee, Rand Paul, pushed the referral which was approved by the committee. Fauci, who is 85 and retired in 2022, has faced intense criticism over the pandemic measures he advocated for, often becoming a target of anger.

The Senate's Republican leader, Rand Paul, accused Fauci of not having a valid Fifth Amendment claim because President Joe Biden's 2025 pardon nullified it. Fauci, however, claimed Paul had summoned him to force testimony backing Paul's public pledges to imprison him. Republicans have suggested that the contempt referral might be sent directly to the Justice Department, bypassing the need for a Senate vote.

Democrats on the panel criticized the move, accusing Paul of a rushed investigation that disregards constitutional protections. If the referral proceeds, the US Attorney's Office in Washington, under a Trump ally, would review it and decide whether to seek a grand jury indictment. Fauci may also face state-level scrutiny, with Louisiana joining Florida and Alabama in investigating his pandemic conduct.