Former US health official Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during a tense US Senate hearing on Covid-19 origins to avoid potential perjury charges. The 85-year-old former leader of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases declined to answer questions from the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, citing a vindictive prosecution effort led by Republican Senator Rand Paul.
This high-profile standoff reflects deep-seated political divisions over the pandemic's onset, particularly regarding whether the virus emerged naturally or leaked from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology. While a pre-emptive pardon from former President Joe Biden shields the scientist from federal prosecution for actions between 2014 and 2025, he remains vulnerable to state-level charges or congressional contempt resolutions. The dispute intensified following the release of his personal diary entries, which revealed early uncertainty regarding the pathogen's source. Consequently, Florida's attorney general has launched a state-level investigation, signaling prolonged legal and political battles over the US pandemic response.
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