Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted along party lines Thursday to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after he repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during a committee hearing last week.

Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times while refusing to answer questions concerning the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CNN reported. Republicans said his refusal could expose him to federal contempt charges.

Democrats attempted to postpone the vote until lawmakers could hear from Fauci’s attorney, David Schertler, and legal experts regarding his right against self-incrimination. Republicans rejected the request, arguing that Fauci’s sweeping presidential pardon removed the need for him to invoke the Fifth Amendment.

Committee Chairman Sen. Rand Paul said he plans to send the panel’s recommendation directly to the Justice Department, bypassing the usual step of seeking approval from the full Senate. Paul acknowledged that there is little precedent for the procedure, saying the committee’s action amounts to a referral and recommendation.

Vice President JD Vance would first be required to approve the committee’s departure from longstanding Senate procedure in his constitutional role as president of the Senate. The Justice Department would then decide whether to bring formal charges against Fauci.

Schertler denounced the vote as a “crude political stunt” and accused Paul of pursuing a personal vendetta against Fauci. Any charges would likely face a lengthy legal challenge concerning the scope of Fauci’s Fifth Amendment protections.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)