Lead

A US Senate committee has voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions at a hearing focused on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by both ABC Australia and BBC — World. The vote, which fell along party lines, means the case will be referred to the US attorney's office in Washington, which will decide whether to investigate or potentially prosecute Fauci for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena. It remains unclear whether the department will pursue charges.

Coverage comparison

ABC Australia reported that Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times when he appeared before the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs last week. The BBC noted that Fauci invoked his constitutional right the same number of times during his testimony, drawing the ire of Republican lawmakers.

Both outlets reported that former President Joe Biden gave Fauci a pre-emptive pardon in 2025. According to ABC Australia, the pardon does not shield Fauci from state-level prosecutions or investigations into false testimony. The BBC added that the pardon protects Fauci from federal prosecution for actions between 2014 and 2025, but he could still face charges for anything after that date, including contempt of Congress.

ABC Australia quoted Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, the Republican committee chairman, as saying that the constitutional protection did not apply since Fauci received a pardon and thus did not have to worry about the threat of prosecution. The BBC also quoted Paul, who said ahead of the vote: "The chair directed Anthony Fauci to answer. He refused. That is what we are voting on today — not his opinions, not his policies, not anything he said from the podium six years ago."

Key claims

  • A US Senate committee voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress over his refusal to answer questions at a hearing about COVID-19.
  • Dr. Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times during his testimony.
  • Former President Joe Biden gave Dr. Fauci a pardon in 2025, which protects him from federal prosecution for actions between 2014 and 2025.
  • The pardon does not shield Dr. Fauci from state-level prosecutions or investigations into false testimony.
  • Dr. Fauci will be referred to the US attorney's office in Washington for potential prosecution for contempt of Congress.

Perspectives

Republican committee leadership

Senator Rand Paul argued that the Fifth Amendment protection did not apply because Fauci received a pardon, saying: "Dr. Fauci faced no risk of federal prosecution. All he had to do was tell the truth." He framed the vote as narrowly about whether a witness who received a federal pardon can defy a committee order without consequence, not about Fauci's policies or prior statements.

Dr. Anthony Fauci

In a statement issued before the hearing, Fauci said he had good reason to fear the possibility of criminal charges given what he said was Paul's determination "to get me to say something, anything, that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, quote, behind bars, unquote."