Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during testimony before the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The hearing focused on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 'lab leak' theory. [claim:1, claim:8]
The committee, chaired by Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, addressed allegations concerning the origins of the virus. Senator Paul accused Fauci of not telling the American people the full story regarding how the pandemic began. [claim:2, claim:21]
During the proceedings, Senator Paul released more than 1,100 pages of Fauci's personal diary, covering the period from December 2019 to December 2022. [claim:12] Fauci stated that the release of the diary was intended to 'embarrass and intimidate' him. [claim:14]
You did not tell the American people the full story.
Conflicting perspectives on the investigation
Republicans characterized the investigation as probing 'the origins of COVID-19 and risky taxpayer-funded life science research'. [claim:9] Conversely, scientists described the proceedings as 'vilification and harassment' of Fauci. [claim:9]
Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.) criticized the hearing, describing it as a partisan exercise aimed at reaching 'predetermined conclusions'. [claim:22]
Fauci, who served as director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for 38 years before retiring in 2022, refused to answer substantive questions on the advice of his attorneys. [claim:1, claim:3, claim:15]
Number of times Fauci testified or briefed congressional committees during his career.