Anthony Fauci on Wednesday refused to answer questions at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing chaired by Republican Senator Rand Paul, invoking the Fifth Amendment. He accused the Kentucky lawmaker of an “unhinged” campaign to see him imprisoned.

In his opening statement, Fauci told the committee, “Under the advice of my attorneys, I will invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution to refrain from answering your questions.”

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Dr. Fauci declined to answer questions as the hearing opened in Washington, where the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director faced a panel that has long been hostile to his role in the pandemic response.

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Rights invoked, accusations exchanged

Dr. Fauci refused to answer 15 questions from Paul, invoking his Fifth Amendment rights each time.

Paul responded that Fauci was not allowed to plead the Fifth, said a pardon from former President Joe Biden would not shield him, and warned there would be consequences for refusing to answer.

The hearing unfolded against a backdrop of years of partisan conflict over Covid-19, with Fauci repeatedly targeted by conservative critics.

President Donald Trump posted before the hearing that Fauci’s ideas were “CRAZY!”

Fauci led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for 38 years and became a central public face of the US pandemic response during Covid-19.

Diary reopens fault lines

The confrontation also revived deeper arguments over the origins of Covid-19 and whether US-funded research played any role in the outbreak.

Paul has spent years accusing Fauci of lying to Congress about gain-of-function research in Wuhan, while Fauci has denied the allegations and said he testified truthfully multiple times before lawmakers.

The dispute sharpened further after Paul released 1,141 pages of Fauci’s pandemic-era diary entries, which he said undermined the official narrative; Fauci’s representatives said the entries matched his public comments at the time.

Fauci’s lawyer, David Schertler, called Paul’s pursuit “an obsessive vendetta” and said the accusations were “false and disgraceful.”

The final act leaves questions lingering

Democratic Senator Gary Peters criticized the hearing as a biased exercise that appeared to be built around a predetermined conclusion, saying one-sided investigations do not serve the American public.

Paul had one of Fauci’s lawyers removed from the hearing after the lawyer tried to speak. Fauci was escorted out after invoking the Fifth Amendment repeatedly during the session.

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The latest clash comes after Biden pardoned Fauci on January 19, 2025, for any offenses he may have committed since 2014 in connection with Covid-19 or his role at NIAID, though that pardon does not cover later conduct.

Paul said the committee would have to consider next steps after Fauci’s refusal to testify.

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FAQs

Q1: Why did Anthony Fauci invoke the Fifth Amendment at the Senate hearing?

Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment on the advice of his attorneys, declining to answer questions during the Senate Covid-19 hearing.

Q2: Who chaired the Senate hearing where Anthony Fauci testified?

The hearing was chaired by Republican Senator Rand Paul, who has long scrutinized Fauci’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and related research.