Senate Committee Holds Fauci in Contempt, Refers Case

Dr. Anthony Fauci was held in contempt of Congress by a Senate committee on Thursday, August 6, 2026, following his repeated invocation of the Fifth Amendment during a hearing last week. The vote, which fell along party lines, refers the matter to the Justice Department for potential prosecution. Hours after the vote, Fauci was photographed outside his Washington, D.C., home, where his wife, Christine Grady, made an obscene gesture toward a photographer as the couple departed.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 8-5 to hold the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in contempt. The action stems from Fauci’s testimony on July 29, during which he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 111 times. Committee Chairman Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, who subpoenaed Fauci, has accused him of covering up information about the origins of COVID-19 and misleading the public.

Republican senators argued that Fauci’s use of the Fifth Amendment was invalid. They cited an opening statement he delivered and a pardon he received from then-President Joe Biden covering potential federal crimes...