Senate committee votes to hold Fauci in contempt for refusing to answer COVID questions

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate committee has voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress and refer him to the Justice Department for potential prosecution over his refusal to answer questions at a hearing last week focused on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The vote Thursday came one week after Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times when he appeared before the panel. Sen. Rand Paul, the committee chairman, has said that constitutional protection didn’t apply since Fauci last year received a pardon from Democratic President Joe Biden. Fauci and Democrats say he had a well-founded fear of self-incrimination given a public desire by Republicans to seek his prosecution.