Senate committee votes to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt over Covid testimony
A Senate panel approved a contempt finding against Anthony Fauci after he declined to answer questions about his handling of the pandemic.
A US Senate committee voted on Thursday to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt after he refused to answer questions about his role in the Covid-19 response. The panel is expected to send the matter to the Justice Department for possible prosecution.
According to reporting from BBC News and NPR, the vote followed a hearing in which Fauci did not respond to lawmakers' questions about his pandemic decisions. Senate Republicans, led by committee chairman Rand Paul, have pressed for further action.
Paul said he plans to refer the case to the Justice Department, which would decide whether to pursue charges. The contempt vote does not itself amount to a criminal case.
Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during much of the pandemic, has been a central figure in US debates over the federal response to Covid-19.
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