Fauci faces contempt vote after invoking Fifth Amendment in Senate hearing

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the nation's response to COVID-19, invoked the Fifth Amendment at a Senate hearing Wednesday and declined to answer questions about the pandemic's origins. Per Axios, Fauci cited concerns that his statements could expose him to legal jeopardy, despite a preemptive pardon from former President Biden. The questions centered on government funding of research in China—a claim Fauci has disputed previously—and gain-of-function research at Fort Detrick. Senator Rand Paul warned Fauci there would be 'repercussions' for his refusal and ordered his attorney removed from the hearing room. Democrat Richard Blumenthal criticized the proceeding as a political 'show trial,' contrasting with Republicans' focus on investigating the pandemic's origins.

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