Dr. Anthony Fauci said that he is invoking the Fifth Amendment Tuesday before Congress as the Republican-led Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee investigates the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The committee is led by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who is known for clashing with Fauci.
At the start of Wednesday's hearing, Paul wasted little time lambasting Fauci's approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, claiming that Fauci ordered staff to delete records and cover up evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic originated from a lab leak.
"Instead of an apology, you have for years avoided responsibility," Paul said.
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Fauci was a leading figure in the United States’ response to COVID-19 under both President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. He served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 1984 through the end of 2022. He also served as Biden’s chief medical adviser from the start of Biden’s term in 2021 through the end of 2022.
Ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, Paul released more than 1,100 pages of documents that include Fauci’s personal notes. The notes provide insight into Fauci’s thoughts as the pandemic unfolded.
Paul has argued the documents show Fauci knew COVID-19 originated in a lab in Wuhan, China, that received partial U.S. funding. Fauci has repeatedly said a lab leak is unlikely.
In 2025, the World Health Organization issued a report that listed a lab leak as one possible scenario, adding that how COVID-19 entered the human population “will remain inconclusive.” The report said zoonotic transmission — possibly from bats or an intermediate host to humans — was the more likely explanation.
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