The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has voted to hold Dr Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress, following his refusal to answer questions at a hearing.
Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment, citing his constitutional right against self-incrimination. He repeated this assertion 111 times during the hearing, which lasted for over two hours. The committee's decision was made along party lines, with eight Republicans voting in favor of holding Fauci in contempt and five Democrats opposing it.
The move is seen as a test case for the newly appointed Attorney General, Todd Blanche. Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul has vowed to hand-deliver the referral to the Justice Department, despite concerns from Democrats that this action may be unprecedented and potentially undermine any future prosecution of Fauci.
Fauci's attorney, David Schertler, has accused Paul of trying to "weaponize" the Justice Department against his client. Meanwhile, some Republican senators have expressed frustration with the lack of cooperation from Fauci during the hearing, while Democrats argue that the move is an attempt to politicize the Justice Department and undermine Congressional oversight.
The decision to hold Fauci in contempt comes as another Senate panel has obtained a copy of the Health and Human Services phone he used during the pandemic. Decrypting this device could potentially answer some of the questions that Fauci refused to address during the hearing.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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