The Senate’s investigation into the federal government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic took another significant turn Wednesday after investigators confirmed they have obtained a copy of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s government-issued iPhone.
The device, which Fauci used during his years leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was transferred from the Department of Health and Human Services to the Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. The Wall Street Journal first reported the transfer, which comes just hours before another major showdown on Capitol Hill.
On Thursday, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is expected to vote on whether to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress after the former White House medical adviser repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during testimony last week.
Fauci declined to answer more than 100 questions during the hearing, citing his constitutional right against self-incrimination.
In his opening statement, Fauci defended that decision.
“Although it pains me to do so… under the advice of my attorneys, I will invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.”
He argued that Sen. Paul has pursued what he called “an unhinged obsession” with prosecuting him and contended the hearing was designed to trap him into making statements that could later be used against him.
Republicans on the committee disagree.
Paul has argued that former President Joe Biden’s broad pardon of Fauci substantially weakens any claim that answering congressional questions could expose him to federal criminal liability. At the same time, legal experts note the pardon does not necessarily eliminate every possible legal risk, including potential state investigations or future allegations tied to new testimony. That dispute now sits at the center of Thursday’s contempt vote.
The phone is only the latest piece of evidence making its way to Capitol Hill.
Earlier this week, HHS delivered more than 1,000 pages of Fauci’s journals to congressional investigators. According to reports, senators have also received millions of additional pages of government records as they continue examining the federal response to COVID-19, funding for research related to coronaviruses, internal communications and the origins of the pandemic.
Whether investigators will ultimately gain access to the phone’s contents—or what, if anything, it may reveal—remains unclear.
If the committee approves the contempt resolution, Paul has indicated he intends to refer the matter directly to federal prosecutors rather than pursue a full Senate vote, arguing procedural realities make floor approval unlikely.
DBS WIRE SOURCES
- The Wall Street Journal – Senate Panel Says It Has Obtained Copy of Fauci’s Covid-Era Phone
- Associated Press – Senate panel to vote on holding Fauci in contempt for refusing to answer questions
- Associated Press – Fauci’s decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment tees up a legal debate and a contempt vote
- Daily Mail – Fauci’s Covid-era phone obtained by Senate panel ahead of contempt vote
