On Thursday, August 6th, 2026, a US Senate committee voted along party lines to hold former top health official Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. The decision came after Fauci refused to answer questions during a hearing focused on his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The committee will now refer the case to the Justice Department for potential prosecution due to Fauci's failure to comply with a congressional subpoena. It remains unclear whether the department will pursue charges.

During his testimony last week, Fauci invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination over 100 times, asserting that Kentucky Senator Rand Paul was attempting to put him "behind bars." Paul has long accused Fauci of hiding the origins of Covid-19 and funding research at a lab in Wuhan, China, where some speculate the pandemic may have begun with a lab leak. However, most scientists consider exposure to an infected animal a more likely source.

Former President Joe Biden issued Fauci a pre-emptive pardon on his last day in office in 2025, protecting him from federal prosecution for actions between 2014 and 2025. Fauci could still face charges for any actions after that date, including contempt of Congress.

Kentucky Republican Rand Paul stated ahead of the vote, "He refused." Fauci responded, "The only conclusion I can reach is that the sole reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something - anything - that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, 'behind bars'."

Sources