WASHINGTON — A Senate committee voted Thursday to hold Anthony Fauci, who declined to answer questions in a hearing last week about his role in the lead-up and response to the Covid-19 pandemic, in contempt of Congress in a party-line vote, 8-7.
Now the matter will go before the entire Senate, where the vote would be subject to the filibuster. If the Senate votes to hold Fauci in contempt, it will be up to the Department of Justice to decide whether to prosecute him.
Conviction can carry a penalty of up to $100,000 in fines and one to 12 months in prison.
Fauci was subpoenaed to appear last week before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) led a marathon hearing questioning the former chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who has faced a number of accusations from Paul and others, including that he was involved in a conspiracy to cover up the origins of the pandemic.
In response to every question, Fauci, who has accused Paul of pursuing a groundless, “unhinged” campaign against him, declined to answer, asserting his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. He had previously received a “preemptive” pardon from President Biden due to Biden’s belief that the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers were likely to target Fauci. Even before last week’s hearing, Paul had repeatedly referred Fauci to the Justice Department for prosecution.
