In brief
At a tense Senate hearing, former top US health official Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment to refuse answering questions about the 2020 COVID‑19 pandemic, triggering bipartisan anger. Republicans accused him of avoiding perjury, while Democrats defended him as a political target. The dispute centers on the pandemic’s origins—lab leak versus natural spill‑over—an issue Fauci has publicly addressed but now faces new controversy. The hearing may lead to contempt votes and state investigations, underscoring the continuing partisan rift over the virus’s origins.
Former top US health official Anthony Fauci told Senate officials he would invoke the Fifth Amendment, refusing to answer questions about how the 2020 COVID‑19 pandemic unfolded.
Republicans, led by Senator Rand Paul, called the refusal “tactical” and suggested the hearing could be a pre‑text to punish Fauci for alleged perjury.
Fauci’s attorneys said he feared that the questions would later be used against him, even after a pre‑emptive pardon from President Biden ended federal prosecution opportunities.
The debate centers on whether COVID‑19 originated in a lab or jumped naturally from animals, a debate Fauci has publicly acknowledged while leaning toward natural origins.
The hearing fuels partisan conflict: Democrats say Fauci is targeted, while Republicans claim findings should be held transparent, amid threats of contempt of Congress resolutions and possible state investigations.
Take our quick poll: if you were in the Senate, would you invoke the Fifth Amendment to avoid a question about a public health crisis?
