{"id":2640460,"date":"2026-08-04T16:37:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T20:37:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rand-paul-to-refer-fauci-to-doj-for-contempt-after-panel-vote\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T16:38:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T20:38:50","slug":"rand-paul-to-refer-fauci-to-doj-for-contempt-after-panel-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rand-paul-to-refer-fauci-to-doj-for-contempt-after-panel-vote\/","title":{"rendered":"Rand Paul to refer Fauci to DOJ for contempt after panel vote"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frand-paul-to-refer-fauci-to-doj-for-contempt-after-panel-vote%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2640460&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) plans too refer Dr. Anthony Fauci to the Department of Justice for contempt of Congress following a committee vote. This move bypasses a full Senate vote on whether Fauci improperly invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination during a recent hearing about his management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul considers the referral a recommendation and intends to include a legal brief, wiht discussions ongoing about whether the full Senate will vote on it. Although Fauci received a federal pardon that protects him from federal prosecution related to pandemic actions, he can still face state or local charges, and any false testimony after the pardon would not be protected. Fauci largely invoked the Fifth Amendment during the hearing, only making a brief opening statement and criticizing Paul&#8217;s focus on prosecuting him. The hearing was prompted by the release of Fauci\u2019s diary entries, which raised questions about the reported COVID-19 fatality rate. Some GOP senators, like James Lankford, support Fauci\u2019s Fifth amendment rights but also support contempt proceedings. Several GOP-led state attorneys general have announced investigations into Fauci following the hearing.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/rand-paul\/\">Rand Paul<\/a> (R-KY) will refer Dr. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/anthony-fauci\/\">Anthony Fauci<\/a> to the Department of Justice for contempt of Congress after a committee vote slated for Thursday morning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The move by Paul, chairman of the Senate\u2019s Homeland Security Committee, effectively sidesteps a vote before the entire chamber on whether Fauci inappropriately invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4667224\/anthony-fauci-lawyer-removed-covid-19-hearing-rand-paul-interruptions\/\">during a hearing<\/a> on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4674782\/rand-paul-refer-fauci-doj-contempt-congress-committee-vote\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Rand Paul to refer Fauci to DOJ for contempt of Congress after committee vote<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4674059\/john-kennedy-democratic-witness-put-down-bong-medicaid-fraud\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>John Kennedy tells Democratic witness to \u2018put down the bong\u2019 for denying Medicaid fraud<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4672857\/fauci-told-congress-higher-covid-fatality-rate-than-he-calculated-diary-more-like-02-03\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Fauci told Congress higher COVID-19 fatality rate than he calculated in diary: \u2018More like 0.2-0.3%\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/crs-product\/LSB10974\">federal law<\/a> lays out the process for the president of the Senate to certify the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hsgac.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/ROM26376.pdf\">contempt resolution<\/a>, but Paul argued that step does not need to happen for him to ask the Justice Department to investigate Fauci for possible prosecution.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s a referral. It\u2019s a recommendation,\u201d Paul said on Tuesday, telling the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>he would include a legal brief in that referral. \u201cSo, we\u2019ll send it directly from the committee, but then we\u2019ll also talk to leadership and at some point in time see if they want to vote on it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fauci, who helped lead the federal response to the pandemic as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fauci-knew-new-emails-show-he-prompted-paper-to-shoot-down-wuhan-lab-leak-theory-of-covid-19\/\" title=\"Fauci Knew: New Emails Show He ...Prompted\u2019 Paper To Shoot Down Wuhan Lab Leak Theory Of ...\">top infectious disease specialist<\/a>, received a blanket pardon in the final hours of Joe Biden\u2019s presidency, leading Republicans to argue that he had a responsibility to cooperate with Paul\u2019s committee in last week\u2019s testimony.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under that pardon, Fauci would be immune from federal prosecution but <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/cbsaustin.com\/news\/nation-world\/does-anothony-fauci-have-the-right-to-plead-5th-amendment-after-presidential-pardon-covid-pandemic-legal-contempt-corona-virus-biden\">could still face state or local charges<\/a>. Any allegations of false testimony made after the date of the pardon would also not be covered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fauci pleaded the Fifth Amendment <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4667643\/anthony-fauci-pleads-fifth-over-100-times-senate-testimony\/\">more than 100 times<\/a> last week and only spoke to deliver his opening statement, accusing Paul of having an \u201cobvious obsession with calling for my prosecution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paul, a libertarian and longtime skeptic of the federal government\u2019s response to the pandemic, has accused Fauci of covering up the origin of COVID-19 and referred him to the Justice Department multiple times under the Biden administration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The hearing followed Paul\u2019s release of Fauci\u2019s diary entries, which were <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4670651\/how-fauci-diaries-made-public-no-one-will-say\/\">stored on a government server<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One GOP member of the panel, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), appeared to support Fauci\u2019s Fifth Amendment right during the hearing, although he told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> on Tuesday that he would support the contempt resolution and viewed the questioning as separate from any state charges he might face.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4669677\/fetterman-andy-beshear-mcconnell-health\/\"><strong>FETTERMAN SAYS BESHEAR TRYING TO PUT HIS \u2018NAME IN THE NEWS\u2019 WITH MCCONNELL HEALTH SCRUTINY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The attorneys general of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4672150\/louisiana-investigation-fauci-covid-senate-hearing\/\">several GOP-led states<\/a> have vowed to investigate Fauci after his Senate hearing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s two different issues here,\u201d Lankford said. \u201cI believe he has a Fifth Amendment right based on his protection for state crimes that are sitting out there, obviously, or any future crimes \u2014 that\u2019s very different.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sen. Rand Paul to refer Fauci for DOJ contempt after committee vote<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2640461,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26210453929990-e1785873612362.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[7076,4434,38952],"class_list":["post-2640460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-doj","tag-fauci","tag-rand-paul"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26210453929990-e1785873612362.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2640460"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640460\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2640464,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640460\/revisions\/2640464"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2640461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2640460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2640460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2640460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}