Dr. Anthony Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during a Senate hearing on Wednesday, declining to answer questions as Republican lawmakers continued their investigation into the federal government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the origins of the coronavirus.

The hearing was convened by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), one of Fauci’s most vocal critics. Before invoking his constitutional right against self-incrimination, Fauci accused Paul and other administration officials of conducting an “obsessive” campaign to target him and seek his prosecution.

Fauci, 85, served for decades as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and advised seven U.S. presidents on public health issues. He became the face of America’s COVID-19 response, but has remained a central focus of Republican investigations into the pandemic, including questions surrounding the virus’s origins and U.S. funding of research.

The hearing comes as debate continues over whether COVID-19 originated through a natural animal-to-human transmission or a possible laboratory leak in China. Fauci has previously said he was open to examining all credible possibilities but maintained that the strongest scientific evidence pointed to a natural origin.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)