Dr Anthony Fauci Invokes Fifth Amendment During US Senate Hearing On Covid-19 Origins
- Dr Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right during a Senate hearing focused on the origins of Covid-19
- Senator Rand Paul, who chaired the hearing, has long pushed the theory that a lab leak caused the pandemic
- Fauci accused Paul of an ongoing obsession with prosecuting him over the disputed Covid-19 origins investigation
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Dr Anthony Fauci refused to answer questions about the origins of Covid-19 on Wednesday. He invoked his Fifth Amendment right during a heated US Senate hearing in Washington DC.
Senator Rand Paul chaired the Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing that focused on the pandemic’s true source. Paul has long pushed the theory that Covid-19 leaked from a Chinese laboratory. Fauci declined every question, saying his lawyers advised him against answering under oath.
Fauci accuses Paul of “obsession” with prosecuting him
Fauci opened his testimony by addressing the origins controversy directly before staying silent. He said years of accusations had left him unable to answer safely. He accused Paul of having an ongoing obsession with seeing him prosecuted.
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Paul had subpoenaed Fauci after releasing over a thousand pages of his private Covid-19 diary. The senator claims those pages prove Fauci misled Congress about the virus’s origins. Fauci has always denied hiding information about how the pandemic really began.
The former health official led America’s pandemic response for nearly four decades in government. He has faced repeated questions about the lab leak theory throughout his lengthy career. This time, he chose silence instead of risking answers under intense political pressure.
Paul warned Fauci that refusing to testify could carry serious legal consequences. He said obstructing a congressional investigation into COVID-19’s origins breaks federal law. Democrats on the committee pushed back, defending Fauci’s constitutional right to stay silent.
Footage of the origins hearing quickly spread online, with viewers reacting strongly online. Some praised Fauci for standing firm against a hostile Republican-led committee. Others accused him of dodging accountability over the pandemic’s still disputed beginnings.
The true origins of Covid-19 remain one of America’s most divisive political questions. Scientists remain split between the lab leak theory and natural animal transmission. Wednesday’s hearing did little to settle the years-long origins debate.
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Source: Briefly News
