Dr. Anthony Fauci has refused a voluntary request to testify before a second Senate panel after Homeland Security Committee Republicans voted to hold him in contempt. His lawyer told Sen. Ron Johnson that forcing another appearance after the contentious July 29 hearing would be "impermissible harassment." Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment 100 times at the July hearing, leading to an Aug. 6 contempt vote and a referral to the Justice Department. Senators Rand Paul and Ron Johnson continue to push separate inquiries into his pandemic role and vaccine safety.
Fauci Refuses Second Senate Appearance After GOP Contempt Vote; Lawyer Calls Further Questioning 'Harassment'
Dr. Anthony Fauci appears before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at the Capitol, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)
Dr. Anthony Fauci declined on Friday to appear voluntarily before a second Senate panel after majority Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee voted along party lines last week to hold the longtime infectious-disease expert in contempt.
In a sharply worded letter to Sen. Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, a lawyer for the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases warned that any attempt to compel Fauci to return to a Senate subcommittee following the contentious July 29 hearing would "impermissibly harass or degrade Dr. Fauci for political purposes."
"Any effort to compel Dr. Fauci to appear after the July 29 hearing would impermissibly harass or degrade him for political purposes," the letter said.
At the July hearing, which focused on Fauci's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 100 times. That stance prompted an Aug. 6 contempt vote in the committee and a referral to the Justice Department to determine whether his constitutional protections were properly asserted.
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who pushed for the contempt finding, said the Fifth Amendment did not apply because he argued Democratic President Joe Biden had issued a preemptive pardon to Fauci, meaning Fauci faced no real risk of prosecution. Paul has repeatedly accused Fauci of misleading the public during the pandemic and has called for criminal prosecution.
Sen. Ron Johnson, chairman of the subcommittee on investigations, had sought to open a parallel congressional inquiry into Fauci's role in the government's pandemic response, including questions about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
Next steps: The contempt referral has been sent to the Justice Department for possible review. Legal and congressional disputes over whether Fauci can be compelled to testify again are likely to continue.
Help us improve.
