Anthony Fauci, the former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and medical advisor to several US presidents, departs following a US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, July 29, 2026. [Photo/Agencies]
Anthony Fauci, the former US government's top infectious disease official, repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a Senate hearing on Wednesday, declining to answer lawmakers' questions about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acting on the advice of his attorney, Fauci responded to nearly every question by saying, "On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution".
The constitutional protection allows individuals to refuse to provide testimony that could be used against them in a criminal case.
The hearing, held by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and chaired by Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, followed a subpoena issued after the release of Fauci's personal journals.
