Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former top U.S. infectious disease expert, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a Republican-led Senate committee hearing on Wednesday. Fauci declined to answer 15 questions regarding the origins of COVID-19 and the government's handling of the pandemic.
The hearing highlighted a long-running clash between the now-retired physician and Republicans, specifically Senator Rand Paul. Paul had subpoenaed Fauci to testify under oath amid accusations that Fauci covered up the origins of the virus. In response, Fauci accused Paul of having an unhinged obsession with him and conducting an unhinged campaign to see him imprisoned.
Fauci stated that any reasonable person would refuse to answer under the circumstances, claiming the proceedings were designed to force him into making incriminating statements. He cited the risk that Republicans could use his testimony to prosecute him for perjury. The testimony followed the recent release of Fauci's private journals from the duration of the pandemic.