- Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment during a hearing before a Republican-led Senate committee about the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Fauci's refusal to answer questions came at the beginning of the hearing on Wednesday, following the release of his diary entries by Senator Rand Paul.
- Fauci's diary entries reflect openness at the start of the pandemic to two possible theories about Covid's origins - including natural origins and a lab leak.
- Senator Rand Paul claimed that Fauci's diary entries contradicted what he told the American people about the origins of the virus.
- Paul suggested that while Fauci said publicly that Covid originated naturally, he privately believed the virus originated in a medical lab.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, invoked the Fifth Amendment during a Senate hearing on the origins of COVID-19, citing legal advice.1
"Although it pains me to do so because of the respect I have for the legislative branch of government ... under the advice of my attorneys, I will invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment of the constitution to refrain from answering your questions," Fauci stated.
The hearing, led by Republican Senator Rand Paul, focused on the ongoing debate regarding whether the virus originated from a lab or through natural transmission. Paul released diary entries from Fauci, written between December 2019 and December 2022, which he claims contradict Fauci's public statements.24
Fauci's entries initially reflected a willingness to consider both the natural and lab leak theories, but he later expressed a stronger belief in the virus's natural origins. He wrote, "[J]ust because two alternatives are possible that does not mean that they are equally probable."3
This hearing marks a significant moment in the ongoing scrutiny of Fauci's role during the pandemic, as he has previously testified under oath before Congress. Fauci accused Paul of having an "obvious obsession" with prosecuting him, which influenced his decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment this time.
“During the hearing, Fauci stated, "Although it pains me to do so... I will invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment of the constitution to refrain from answering your questions." He also accused Senator Rand Paul of having an "obvious obsession" with prosecuting him, which influenced his decision not to testify.”
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