Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the US government response to the Covid-19 pandemic, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, refusing to testify Wednesday just minutes into a Capitol Hill hearing that Republicans outwardly hoped would undermine the scientist and open him to claims of perjury.
Appearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee after being subpoenaed by Sen. Rand Paul, Fauci cited what he characterized as the Republican chairman’s “obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution” as his reason for refusing to speak.
But Republican Senators proceeded with the hearing anyway, peppering the scientist with inquiries about NIH-funded research and the origins of Covid-19. Fauci mostly stared straight ahead, repeatedly invoking his Fifth Amendment right. But at times, frustration appeared to flash across his face. And in a particularly dramatic moment, Paul had Fauci’s attorney, David Schertler, escorted out as the lawyer repeatedly tried to interject and invoke Fauci’s Fifth Amendment rights.
In a written statement before that, Fauci’s legal team said that the circumstances surrounding his appearance “regrettably made his continued cooperation (with Congress) impossible,” adding that Paul had a “public crusade” against Fauci.
