Senate Committee Votes to Hold Fauci in Contempt Over COVID Hearing Silence
A Republican-led Senate committee voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after he invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer questions at a hearing on the COVID-19 pandemic response. Coverage largely agrees on the sequence of events, though outlets vary in how much attention they give to related developments, such as a separate subpoena from state attorneys general and reports about Fauci's government cellphone.
On Aug. 6, 2026, the Senate Homeland Security Committee, led by Republicans, voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. The vote followed a hearing the prior week, presided over by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), at which Fauci refused to answer questions about the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Fauci, former chief White House medical adviser and longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was the central figure in the hearing, which also touched on the origins of COVID-19 and his personal diaries from the pandemic period. The committee's contempt vote refers the matter to the Justice Department for potential prosecution. Separately, three state attorneys general issued subpoenas to Fauci seeking information related to COVID-19 guidance, a development reported as occurring alongside the congressional contempt effort. The New York Times reported that a Senate committee had obtained a copy of Fauci's government-issued cellphone, a development it said came shortly before the contempt vote; this detail was not corroborated by other outlets in the available reporting. As of the reporting period, the contempt referral had been approved by the committee but had not yet resulted in any Justice Department action, and no outlet reported a response from Fauci or his legal representatives to the contempt vote. The exact content and significance of the cellphone records obtained by the Senate panel remain unclear, as does the specific scope of the state attorneys general subpoenas. It is not confirmed whether the full Senate or the Justice Department will act on the contempt referral, leaving the ultimate legal consequences, if any, unresolved.
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How the coverage differs
Senate committee votes to hold Fauci in contempt for refusing to answer COVID questions
Read original report ↗Republican-led Senate committee votes to hold Fauci in contempt over silence in COVID hearing
A Senate committee led by Republicans has voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt over his refusal to answer questions during last week's congressional hearing on the COVID pandemic. Caitlin Huey-Burns has the story.
Read original report ↗Senate Panel Has Obtained Copy of Fauci’s Government Cellphone
The development comes as a Senate committee prepares to vote Thursday on whether to hold Dr. Anthony S. Fauci in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions at a hearing.
Read original report ↗WATCH: Senate panel votes to hold Fauci in contempt after he invoked 5th Amendment
A Senate committee on Thursday voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress and refer him to the Justice Department for potential prosecution over his refusal to answer questions at a hearing last week focused on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read original report ↗Three state attorneys general subpoena Anthony Fauci over Covid guidance
Fauci was subpoenaed as Republicans in Washington seek to hold him in contempt for refusing to answer questions about the handling of the Covid pandemic.
Read original report ↗Senate Homeland Security committee votes to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress
Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security Committee voted to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress after he refused to answer their questions about the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read original report ↗Live updates: Fauci to face Senate grilling on COVID origins, his diaries
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a face of the government's pandemic response, will sit Wednesday morning before a critical Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and the Senate Homeland Security panel to face questions on COVID-19. The former chief White House medical adviser and longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will appear days after...
Read original report ↗