Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in a Senate hearing about the Covid-19 pandemic. Fauci was subpoenaed by Sen. Rand Paul to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.

Fauci’s Refusal to Testify

Fauci cited what he characterized as the Republican chairman’s “obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution” as his reason for refusing to speak. He also noted that GOP lawmakers had made clear they wanted to use the hearing to get him prosecuted.

Sen. Paul and other Republican senators proceeded with the hearing, peppering Fauci with inquiries about NIH-funded research and the origins of Covid-19. Fauci mostly stared straight ahead, repeatedly invoking his Fifth Amendment right.

Background of the Hearing

The hearing was called to investigate Fauci’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and his role in funding research in Wuhan, China. Fauci has denied that the NIH funded gain-of-function research in China, which is a type of research that involves making viruses more virulent or contagious.

Sen. Paul has been a vocal critic of Fauci and has accused him of lying about the origins of the pandemic. Paul has also released 1,100 pages of Fauci’s diary, which show his growing concern about the pandemic and internal conflicts with administration officials.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.