Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul has asked the Justice Department to prosecute Anthony Fauci after a Senate panel voted to hold him in contempt of Congress. The vote and referral mark an escalation in a long-running dispute over Fauci’s testimony and the federal government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Justice Department is expected to review the contempt referral before deciding whether any further action is warranted. The dispute has included a clash over Fauci’s use of the Fifth Amendment, which protects individuals from being compelled to provide potentially self-incriminating testimony. A contempt vote does not itself result in criminal charges; prosecution would require action by the Justice Department.
The vote has drawn attention from lawmakers in both parties, including Democratic senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, and has renewed debate over the political consequences of congressional investigations into the pandemic. Coverage has also focused on what happens procedurally after a Senate panel refers a contempt matter to the Justice Department and whether prosecutors will pursue the case.