Anthony Fauci, the best-known figure in the American response to the pandemic, has become embroiled in a sharp clash with Congress. In the United States, a Senate committee has found him in contempt of Congress after he chose not to answer questions about his role during the Covid-19 crisis.
The committee decision passed by the narrowest of margins
According to the official version of the procedure, the motion against Fauci was approved by eight votes to seven in the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
This step moves the matter into a more serious political and legal phase, while the former official now also faces the prospect of a criminal investigation.
He refused to answer about his role in the pandemic
During a hearing last week, Fauci is said to have repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions related to the management of the pandemic and his role during that period.
The use of the right to remain silent is guaranteed by the US Constitution, but in this case it was interpreted by the committee as grounds for the contempt of Congress charge.
Fear of criminal prosecution was mentioned in his statements
In his opening statements, Fauci argued that he believed his testimony could be used by Republicans to prosecute him.
This position shows that the clash is not only procedural, but also deeply political, on an issue that continues to remain heated in the United States even years after the peak of the pandemic.
For now, the committee’s decision pushes the matter toward a sharper institutional confrontation.
What remains clear is that the debate over responsibility during Covid-19 in the United States has not been closed, but is entering an even more conflict-ridden phase.