Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday, July 30th, 2026. The hearing, led by Republicans, focused on the origins of COVID-19 and the US government's handling of the pandemic.

Fauci was called to testify by Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who accused him of misleading Congress and questioned whether US-funded research in China contributed to the pandemic—allegations Fauci denies. Despite a preemptive pardon granted by former President Joe Biden in 2025, Republicans argued that it does not protect Fauci from alleged crimes committed after the pardon, including potential perjury at the hearing.

Fauci's lawyers advised him not to testify, warning that any statements made under oath could expose him to new legal risks. After a brief opening statement, Fauci declined to answer more than 100 questions.

During the pandemic years of 2019 to 2022, Fauci maintained over 1,000 pages of diary entries documenting his advisory role to the White House and pandemic response efforts. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated that these notes constitute government records, as they were written by a federal employee on a government computer during a public health emergency and were found on government property.

Fauci became the public face of the US response to COVID-19 in 2020, having previously led responses to health crises such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and the 2001 anthrax attacks.

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