Dr. Anthony Fauci, former federal health official, repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment constitutional rights during a congressional hearing, declining to answer questions from Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul regarding U.S. funding for gain-of-function research and the origins of COVID-19.

Heated Exchange

Paul pressed Fauci on whether federal agencies had supported projects designed to make pathogens more lethal or transmissible. Fauci consistently declined to respond on legal grounds, stating, “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.”

Paul raised specific concerns about past federally funded studies, pointing to avian flu experiments conducted by researcher Ron Fouchier. Paul noted that the experiments modified an avian influenza strain—which typically carries a high human mortality rate but poor human-to-human transmission—allowing it to spread between mammals through aerosol droplets.

Paul referenced opposition from the scientific community, noting that over 200 scientists with the Cambridge Working Group signed a protest against funding and publishing such work over concerns that it provided a “roadmap for how to make a bioweapon.”

Constitutional Rights

Paul then cited several prominent researchers who oppose gain-of-function experiments, including Stanford scientist David Relman, Rutgers microbiologist Richard Ebright, and MIT CRISPR scientist Kevin Esvelt. Paul read a statement from Esvelt asking scientists and governments to stop experiments likely to create or disseminate pandemic-capable pathogens.

When asked a final time whether he had reconsidered his position on the risk-benefit balance of such research, Fauci declined to answer for a third time, invoking his constitutional protection.

Following the refusals, Paul stated that the committee chairman had officially denied Fauci’s assertion of privilege and ordered him to respond. Paul warned that the panel would evaluate legal options regarding the refusal, stating, “The committee will have to consider after this hearing what appropriate action should be taken against you for the failure to testify after being directed to do so.”

Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.