Senator Rand Paul (R‑Ky.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is preparing to issue a subpoena for Dr. Anthony Fauci to testify under oath regarding his role in the COVID-19 pandemic and grant funding linked to gain‑of‑function research.
Paul announced the move after former President Biden issued a preemptive pardon to Fauci in January, covering actions through the start of 2025.
Legal experts say that accepting a pardon typically requires the recipient to waive Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination, meaning Fauci would be compelled to testify or risk being charged with perjury if he lies under oath.
Paul has long criticized Fauci’s handling of COVID‑19 and has sought records about NIH funding provided to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. He alleges Fauci misled Congress during previous hearings by underplaying the agency’s support for gain-of-function research.
Paul argues that Biden’s pardon removes Fauci’s ability to “plead the Fifth,” opening the possibility of perjury charges if he again gives misleading testimony.
Earlier this year, Paul used his committee authority to subpoena 14 federal agencies, including NIH, HHS, and DHS, seeking documents related to virus origin and risky biological research. Now, he plans to add Fauci himself to the investigation.
Legal analysts caution that compelling testimony—even from pardoned individuals—is rare but not unprecedented. Should Fauci testify and be found to have lied, he could face federal perjury charges punishable by up to five years in prison.
Fauci, who retired in 2022 after nearly four decades at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has previously denied any wrongdoing and defended NIH’s research funding decisions. His acceptance of the pardon signaled cooperation with the executive branch but did not clarify whether he would testify.
Paul’s subpoena would force Fauci into a high-stakes legal and political confrontation over what the senator describes as “the origins of COVID‑19 and public accountability.”
As the Senate gears up to issue the subpoena, the broader investigation into pandemic-era funding and oversight intensifies, fueling a new chapter in the ongoing debate over COVID‑19 origins and policy transparency.
