Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the most visible faces of the federal pandemic response, appeared before a Senate committee and repeatedly declined to answer questions, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

The hearing brought the country's unresolved arguments over the pandemic back into public view. Republican senators pressed Fauci on the origins of the coronavirus, on federally funded research, and on the guidance he gave during the crisis. Democratic senators, including Richard Blumenthal, said the proceeding amounted to an attempt to discredit Fauci rather than to establish facts.

The session grew heated. Senator Rand Paul, who led much of the questioning, said afterward that he would move to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress and that a vote could follow. Paul said Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times over the course of the hearing. At one point, Paul directed that Fauci's attorney leave the room after what he described as repeated disruptions.

Other Republicans used the moment to level sharp criticism. Senator Ted Cruz called Fauci "America's most damaging bureaucrat" and said he believed Fauci should face prison. Former President Donald Trump, asked about the hearing, said, "I inherited Fauci" and that he had "never been a big fan."

The hearing was preceded by the release of what has been described as Fauci's personal diary, a set of private writings that became a subject of debate ahead of his testimony. Supporters and critics drew opposing conclusions from the material. Some pointed to passages as evidence of Fauci's private thinking during the pandemic; Fauci and his allies characterized certain interpretations of the writings as inaccurate.

Fauci's decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment carries no admission of wrongdoing and is a constitutional protection available to any witness. His defenders said he was declining to participate in a proceeding they viewed as politically driven. His critics said his silence left central questions unanswered.

The pressure on Fauci extends beyond Congress. The Florida attorney general has opened an investigation related to statements Fauci made about the pandemic. Whether the Senate will proceed to a contempt vote, and what any such vote would produce, remained unclear at the close of the hearing.

Fauci, for his part, said little.

References

1. 1.Senate hearing coverage — Fauci's repeated invocation of the Fifth Amendment and the questioning by Republican senators
2. 2.Sen. Rand Paul statements — contempt threat, count of Fifth Amendment invocations, and removal of Fauci's attorney from the room
3. 3.Sen. Ted Cruz remarks — 'America's most damaging bureaucrat' quote and prison comment
4. 4.Donald Trump remarks — 'I inherited Fauci' and 'never been a big fan' quotes
5. 5.Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Democratic senators — characterization of the hearing as an attempt to discredit Fauci
6. 6.Reporting on Fauci's personal diary — its release and the debate over its interpretation
7. 7.Florida attorney general — investigation into statements Fauci made about the pandemic