Senate committee set to vote on whether to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress

Anthony Fauci faces a contempt-of-Congress vote Thursday after refusing to answer questions at a Senate hearing last week. The Republican-led Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is considering the punitive measure. Fauci, 85, said he relied on his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination, and accused Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., of an “unhinged obsession” and a bid to trick him into lying under oath. Paul has also released more than 1,000 pages of Fauci’s private diary entries ahead of the hearing. A prior pardon from President Joe Biden covered certain conduct through January 2025, but would not protect new testimony. If contempt is approved, the Justice Department would decide whether to prosecute, though criminal cases are rare.