Rand Paul revealed on Wednesday that Bill Gates held a top-level security clearance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Republican Senator brought up the businessman and philanthropist while grilling Dr Anthony Fauci during an explosive hearing on Capital Hill.
'Bill Gates was given Q security clearance from 2014 to 2021,' Paul stated in the final moments of the hearing, alluding to the clearance first granted during the Obama administration.
The designation – a Q security clearance – is a high-level access authorization granted by the Department of Energy (DOE) that is functionally equivalent to a Department of Defense Top Secret clearance.
Gates was given that clearance due to his involvement with TerraPower, a company that focuses on nuclear innovation.
