A Senate committee voted Thursday to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to answer senators’ questions about his decisions and actions during the pandemic.
Background
The 8-5 party-line vote is a stain on the once-pristine reputation of Dr. Fauci, who for decades ran the infectious diseases division at the National Institutes of Health and became the most visible face of U.S. efforts to grapple with COVID-19.
In a hearing last week, Dr. Fauci refused to answer any questions, invoking his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent 111 times. Republicans said that was unacceptable.
Sen. Rand Paul, chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and a trained physician who for years has clashed with Dr. Fauci over his pandemic determinations, said many of these questions can be answered only by Dr. Fauci.
Reaction
David Schertler, Dr. Fauci’s lawyer, denounced the committee vote as “a crude political stunt” that punished him for exercising a constitutional right.
Sen. Josh Hawley said Dr. Fauci’s refusal to answer a question about the color of his tie was proof that Dr. Fauci wasn’t worried about criminal prosecution but was intent on obstruction.
Original reporting: WMAL (Washington DC) — read the source article.
