Friday, July 31, 2026

Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment at Senate COVID hearing

Former NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times during a Republican-led Senate committee hearing on COVID-19 origins and pandemic handling. The hearing, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul, focused on allegations that Fauci misled Congress and that US-funded research in China may have contributed to the pandemic. Fauci's lawyers advised him not to testify, citing legal risks stemming from the limits of a preemptive pardon granted by former President Biden in 2025.