Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of America’s COVID response, repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right before a Senate committee on Wednesday. The hearing, chaired by Republican Sen. Rand Paul, was meant to probe the origins of COVID-19 and whether Fauci misled Congress and the public. Fauci called Paul’s pursuit of him an “unhinged obsession.” Ali Rogin reports.
Amna Nawaz:
Fauci helped to lead the White House response for Presidents Trump and Biden and is now retired from government service. But he appeared today under congressional subpoena. He then took the Fifth more than 100 times to protect himself from self-incrimination.
Ali Rogan begins our coverage with this report.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY):
The American people deserve.
Ali Rogin:
Answers Senator Rand Paul pledged to extract from his witness about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Kentucky Republican is chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and subpoenaed Dr. Anthony Fauci to testify after he refused to do so voluntarily.
Sen. Rand Paul:
The whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God.
Ali Rogin:
In his opening statement, Senator Paul accused Dr. Fauci of a cover-up as the pandemic unfolded. He said Fauci’s private writings show he suspected the virus originated in a lab in Wuhan, China, where researchers were studying bat coronaviruses.
But in public, Fauci said it started with animal-to-human contact with a live animal market near the lab playing a critical intermediary role.
Sen. Rand Paul:
Publicly, Anthony Fauci promoted the theory that the virus arose naturally, while, privately, he was well aware of a mountain of evidence suggesting the virus originated in the lab.
Ali Rogin:
Senator Paul has been investigating Dr. Fauci for years and has repeatedly argued for criminal charges. He holds Fauci responsible for funding research that Paul says unleashed the virus and killed so many Americans.
Several government agencies, including the Department of Energy and the CIA, now favor the lab leak theory with varying degrees of confidence. However, a 2023 intelligence assessment maintains that several key agencies are divided over the true origin of the pandemic.
Many scientists disagree with the lab leak theory as well, and the precise answer to the origins of COVID-19 has not been and may never be definitively settled.
Sen. Rand Paul:
Your own words demonstrate that you understood the influence you exercised.
Ali Rogin:
Paul also argued that Fauci pushed federal and local leaders to enforce lockdowns. He cited notes Fauci kept on a government computer, which read like diary entries, sections of which Paul obtained and released days ago.
Sen. Rand Paul:
You argue that you did not personally issue every lockdown order, close every school, or impose every mandate. But officials across the country invoked your authority to justify these decisions.
Ali Rogin:
In the diary, Fauci says he advised New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in favor of a shelter-in-place order. Ultimately, state and local officials made those decisions.
In his opening remarks, Fauci defended a record of congressional cooperation.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Former Chief Medical Adviser to President Biden: I have appeared multiple times for hearings in the Senate and the House, usually under oath, and sat for several days-long transcribed sworn interviews answering questions about the very issues that are now the subject of this hearing.
Ali Rogin:
But he said that cooperation would not continue today, his first sworn testimony since former President Joe Biden preemptively pardoned him on his last day in office.
Dr. Anthony Fauci:
Although it pains me to do so because of the respect I have for the legislative branch of government and my decades-long record. Of cooperating with Congress, under the advice of my attorneys, I will invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.
Ali Rogin:
It didn’t stop Republicans on the committee from asking questions.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI):
Were you told that senior FDA officials were given dozens, shown dozens of safety signals associated with the COVID injection?
Dr. Anthony Fauci:
On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO):
What color tie are you wearing?
Dr. Anthony Fauci:
On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer.
Ali Rogin:
Another set of unanswered questions, whether the National Institutes of Health funded a controversial type of research at the Wuhan lab. At issue are so-called gain of function studies, which test lab-enhanced viruses to see how they react in the real world, and whether the NIH was funding that work before the outbreak. Fauci denies this.
Sen. Rand Paul:
The decision to fund dangerous gain of function research in Wuhan, China, will likely go down in history as perhaps one of the worst public health decisions.
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI):
What makes today’s hearing particularly disappointing…
Ali Rogin:
For their part, Democrats defended Dr. Fauci and dismissed today’s hearing as a waste of time.
Sen. Gary Peters:
One-sided investigations designed to validate predetermined conclusions do not serve the American people, who sent us to actually undercover the truth and solve problems.
Sen. Rand Paul:
You are not recognized.
Ali Rogin:
At one point, Dr. Fauci’s lawyer tried to interject to defend his client.
(Applause)
Ali Rogin:
Senator Paul refused to recognize him, and the lawyer was ejected from the hearing.
Fauci’s decision to invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege raises questions as to whether he could be charged over that. Former federal prosecutor Jessica Roth says anyone can assert their Fifth Amendment right if they believe they could be prosecuted.
Jessica Roth, Former Federal Prosecutor:
Now, Fauci, based on the statements that Senator Paul and has made that make it clear that he is very much interested in prosecuting Mr. Fauci based on his past conduct, may reasonably anticipate that his testimony before this panel could be used in an effort to investigate future lines of inquiry and subject him to a prosecution for perjury based on his prior statements.
Ali Rogin:
Today, Senator Paul said he intends to seek contempt of Congress charges for Fauci, and that he has secured a vote next week.
For the “PBS News Hour,” I’m Ali Rogin.
