Dr. Anthony Fauci has appeared before Congress more than 250 times over his decades-long career. On Wednesday, however, it went differently than in the past. The 85-year-old former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was called before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for a hearing that ran over two hours. There, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times.
According to CNN, Fauci, most known for guiding the US Covid-19 pandemic response across two administrations, delivered a brief, sharp opening statement. He then retreated to a single, 24-word sentence for the remainder of the session: “Under the advice of my attorneys, I will invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution to refrain from answering your questions.”
