Hawley blasts Fauci for dodging Congress, chatting with magazines

According to Molly Parks writing in Washington Examiner, Fauci pleaded the Fifth throughout the entire Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing, invoking the constitutional protection eight times during Hawley’s questioning alone. While Biden’s pardon covers Fauci’s actions prior to its issuance, it would not shield him from crimes committed during the hearing itself, such as perjury.

Committee chairman Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky who has been a vocal critic of Fauci since the COVID-19 pandemic, announced following the session that the committee would vote on holding Fauci in contempt of Congress for his refusal to testify.

During the contentious hearing, Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, pushed Fauci’s limits by asking deliberately simple questions, including what color tie he was wearing, only to receive the same constitutional response each time.

“On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution,” Fauci repeated in response to each of Hawley’s inquiries.

The senator contrasted Fauci’s silence before Congress with his willingness to participate in a 2020 InStyle Magazine photoshoot and interview, which no longer appears to be available on the publication’s website. Hawley also accused the former official of profiting from his public health position by pursuing cash awards.

Hawley criticized Fauci sharply, stating: You could sit for InStyle magazine, but you can’t answer questions for the American people. He went on to accuse Fauci of having time for magazine features and collecting substantial financial awards while now refusing to speak to Congress.

Accusations of Staff Misuse

Hawley further alleged that Fauci converted his government staff into what he described as a full-time application machine for seeking cash awards on his behalf. Fauci maintained his Fifth Amendment stance throughout, declining to respond to any accusations or questions.

The Missouri senator escalated his criticism, suggesting the behavior went beyond financial gain. He accused Fauci of being on a power trip, claiming he wanted to become the most famous scientist in the world and sought every award and payment opportunity because he wanted television exposure and to be what Hawley characterized as the sun god of science.

Fauci’s Justification

In his opening statement, Fauci told the committee he would invoke the Fifth Amendment due to what he called Paul’s unhinged obsession with him and his pandemic response.

Fauci stated that the only conclusion he could reach was that Paul called him before the committee to get him to say something that could vindicate the chairman’s repeated public pledges that Fauci should end up behind bars.

He added that while it pained him to do so given his respect for the legislative branch and his decades-long record of cooperating with Congress, he would follow his attorneys’ advice and invoke his Fifth Amendment right to refrain from answering questions.

With information from Washington Examiner