Doctor Anthony Fauci, who orchestrated the White House response to the COVID-19 pandemic, refused on Wednesday to answer new questions from a US Senate committee on the origins of the pandemic and its management.
Denouncing the “obvious obsession” of the conservative Rand Paul chairing this commission to pursue him in court, the immunologist surprised by indicating that he would invoke, on the advice of his lawyers, his right not to self-incriminate, guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment of the American Constitution.
“After the COVID pandemic, I appeared on multiple occasions at hearings in the Senate and the House of Representatives, generally under oath (…) during which I answered questions relating precisely to the subjects which are today the subject of this hearing”, he reminded the parliamentarians.
And to assure that his choice of silence is based on his need to protect himself against the “repeated slanderous remarks” of Senator Rand Paul. The latter has accused him of lies for several years and in recent days published extracts from his private diary, which according to him contradict some of his past public comments.
“The only conclusion I can come to is that the only reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something, anything, that could justify his repeated public promises that I will end up, quote, ‘behind bars,’” he added, indicating that he had reluctantly decided to follow the advice of his lawyers.
Long director of the American National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Anthony Fauci had become the most visible expert in the United States on the subject during the pandemic and had received death threats on this occasion.
Known for his outspokenness, he had often contradicted Donald Trump, and is reviled by part of the right, but also by conspiracy and anti-vax movements.
“Trap”
Republican Senator Rand Paul began Wednesday’s hearing with a long diatribe in which he returned in particular to the origins of COVID-19 and the thesis of a laboratory leak, urging the doctor to tell the truth.
According to the curator, the United States would have financed so-called “gain of function” virology research in the Wuhan laboratory, which Anthony Fauci has repeatedly denied.
Several Democratic senators for their part affirmed their support for the doctor, denouncing a “crusade” by the head of the commission against him.
“We are here to try to trap you,” regretted Senator Maggie Hassan.
Anthony Fauci was one of the elected officials and former officials to have been preemptively pardoned by Joe Biden just before he left the White House. A procedure justified by the Democrat to spare them “partisan” investigations or prosecutions, and strongly criticized by Donald Trump.
While thanking Joe Biden for his gesture, Mr. Fauci assured that he had “committed no crime” likely to motivate “an investigation or criminal prosecution”.
