Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on Wednesday, August 6, 2026, that his office, along with Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey, has issued an investigative subpoena to Dr. Anthony Fauci. The subpoena seeks information regarding awards, professional opportunities, financial incentives, grants, and COVID-19 guidance that impacted Florida businesses and consumers.

Uthmeier alleged that Fauci may have personally profited from the recommendations he made during the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated, "Government officials have a certain level of immunity in their official capacities, but if Fauci personally profited off of the ‘guidance’ he issued, that very well could have broken Florida law."

The subpoena follows renewed scrutiny of Fauci by some lawmakers on Capitol Hill concerning his pandemic management. At a recent Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions from Republicans about the pandemic response.

Uthmeier criticized Fauci's pandemic diary, saying it "focused more on self-promotion than the legitimate safety concerns from the mRNA vaccines," and accused him of pushing for "book deals, awards, and fortune and fame" while allegedly deceiving and harming Floridians. He also noted that Fauci's diary entries detailed "substantial awards," including grants, book deals, and board positions linked to his public recommendations as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases that affected Florida.

President Joe Biden issued a pre-emptive pardon for Fauci just before leaving office in January 2025.

Sources