Fauci Invokes the Fifth More Than 100 Times at Senate COVID Hearing as Rand Paul Moves to Hold Him in Contempt
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times during a roughly three-hour hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on July 29, 2026. Committee Chairman Rand Paul (R-KY), who has referred Fauci to the Justice Department and accuses him of making false statements to Congress and concealing NIH involvement in coronavirus research in Wuhan, called the hearing; Fauci denies the allegations. Fauci's lawyer, David Schertler, described the proceeding as an "obsessive vendetta," and Fauci said the sole purpose was to make him say something that would vindicate Paul's public pledges to put him behind bars. Republicans hold an 8-7 majority on the panel, and several used their time to attack Fauci for declining to answer. Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-MI) called the hearing a partisan exercise. Public health experts warned the episode could have a chilling effect on federal public health staffing. On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, Paul released the text of a contempt resolution against Fauci and scheduled a committee vote for Thursday morning. Paul's position is that Fauci's Fifth Amendment protection no longer applied because of his presidential pardon, and that Fauci waived any remaining privilege by delivering opening testimony — a ruling Paul made from the chair during the hearing before ordering Fauci to answer and warning him about contempt.
“Eight of us are saying let's talk, and Democrats are sitting here like middle schoolers saying no, we don't.”