Sen. Rand Paul told Joe Rogan he is frustrated the Trump administration did not refer Dr. Anthony Fauci for prosecution over alleged lies to Congress and says he has provided AG Pam Bondi with evidence. Paul urged a legal challenge to a pardon issued to Fauci, arguing a court test could prompt the Supreme Court to narrow its scope. He and Rogan also criticized Fauci-era pandemic guidance and raised questions about gain-of-function research funding that dates back to 2014.
Rand Paul Urges Court Challenge To Fauci Pardon, Says He Has Evidence Fauci Misled Congress
Rand Paul to Joe Rogan: DOJ Won't Prosecute Anthony Fauci for Lying
Sen. Rand Paul (R–Ky.) told Joe Rogan on The Joe Rogan Experience that he is frustrated the Trump administration did not refer Dr. Anthony Fauci for criminal prosecution over allegations that he lied to Congress.
Paul said he has given former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi evidence claiming Fauci misled lawmakers about gain-of-function research and that he instructed subordinates to destroy public records to frustrate oversight. Paul urged that the pardon issued by President Joe Biden also be tested in court, arguing a legal challenge could clarify the pardon’s scope.
"I've summarized it again in a criminal referral to Trump's attorney general, and I still haven't gotten action," Paul said. "They ought to take it to court."
Paul acknowledged a court victory is not guaranteed because the pardon is broad, but he said a test could prompt the Supreme Court to narrow its reach. He pointed to the fact that the pardon’s timeframe reportedly reaches back to 2014, the year President Barack Obama imposed a pause on certain gain-of-function funding, which Paul and others say raises questions about whether related work continued despite the pause.
Reason writer Christian Britschgi has argued that some of Fauci's statements to Congress about whether his agency funded high-risk gain-of-function research were misleading. Paul and Rogan also revisited a number of pandemic-era policy debates tied to Fauci: shifting social-distancing guidance, reversals on mask recommendations, and vaccine mandates.
Paul further criticized what he described as selective Justice Department zeal under former President Donald Trump to pursue political opponents, naming figures such as James Comey, Letitia James and Jerome Powell, and lamented that the DOJ has not pursued the Fauci matter in the way he believes it should. Paul quipped that perhaps Bondi has been occupied with redacting the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Context: The claims described above reflect accusations and legal referrals made by Sen. Paul and commentary published by Reason. The allegations that Fauci misled Congress and directed the destruction of records are contested and have not been adjudicated in court.
Original reporting: This post originally appeared on Reason.com.
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