Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment 111 times at Senate hearing; Paul threatens contempt vote

Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on July 29, 2026, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 111 times and declining to answer any questions, according to Fox News. The committee, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., questioned Fauci about NIH funding directed to the Wuhan Institute of Virology through EcoHealth Alliance, the use of aborted fetal tissue in coronavirus research, and his shifting public guidance on masks and lockdowns during the pandemic.

Sen. Paul announced he would hold a vote the following week on whether to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress, a step that NPR reported could lead to fines or jail time. NPR noted that invoking the Fifth Amendment does not equate to admitting wrongdoing, and cited legal experts who warned Fauci could still face perjury charges if he contradicts prior sworn statements. Before leaving office, President Biden granted Fauci a blanket pardon covering the period from 2014 to early 2025, according to NPR.

The hearing followed Paul's release of over 1,000 pages of Fauci's private diary entries. Fox News reported that the diaries showed Fauci privately acknowledged the virus may have originated from a lab accident while maintaining a different position publicly, and that Fauci privately took credit for pandemic-era lockdowns while publicly denying involvement. Fox News also cited diary entries in which Fauci wrote in May 2020 that his "national and international fame is explosive and really unimaginable."