Former White House medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a fiery Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing in Washington on Wednesday. The move shocked Senator Rand Paul and prompted immediate threats of a contempt vote, setting the stage for a constitutional clash over presidential pardons and congressional oversight.
To recall, the news came after former President Joe Biden granted the doctor a sweeping preemptive pardon just before leaving office. The clemency order effectively immunised the infectious disease expert from prosecution for any offences arising from his government work between 2014 and the end of the presidential term on Jan. 19, 2025.
