Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is gearing up for a hearing with former chief White House medical advisor Anthony Fauci, where he plans to question Fauci about his pursuit of a $1 million prize while leading the COVID-19 response.

Fauci’s Alleged Lobbying Efforts

According to Paul, Fauci used his rising fame to lobby colleagues to nominate him for the Dan David Prize, a $1 million award. Paul claims that Fauci’s actions are unacceptable, saying, ‘Why would we let a guy that runs a bureaucracy be allowed to have a $1 million prize?’

In 2021, Fauci was awarded the Dan David Prize, which is disbursed by the Israel-based Dan David Foundation. The foundation stated that Fauci ‘leveraged his considerable communication skills to address people gripped by fear and anxiety’ during the pandemic.

Fauci’s Diary Entries

Fauci’s diary entries, which were recently released, show that he was aware of his rising fame and took steps to promote himself. In one entry, Fauci wrote that a ‘Big front page article [about] me appeared in the Washington Post.’ He also noted that the Trump White House was ‘very upset’ about his meteoric rise in the media.

Paul is unsure whether Fauci’s focus on his media image affected his portrayal of the virus, saying, ‘He wouldn’t be the first person in Washington that publicity went to his head.’

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.