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Fauci invokes Fifth at Senate hearing, Rand Paul threatens contempt

newsJul 29, 2026752,497

At a Senate hearing on July 29, Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer all questions from Sen. Rand Paul about the origins and management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fauci said he was invoking his rights in response to Paul’s prior comments that Fauci said sought to trap him. Sen. Rand Paul responded by saying he will pursue a contempt vote after Fauci refused to answer. During the hearing Paul had Fauci’s attorney, David Schertler, removed after the lawyer repeatedly tried to interject, and Paul warned the attorney to stop or be removed. The standoff sets up a likely next step of a formal contempt motion in the Senate.

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