A Senate committee ruled today (6/8) that Dr. Anthony Fauci is guilty of contempt of Congress because he refused to answer questions regarding the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. It is recalled that he invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times, which gives a citizen the ability not to incriminate himself, during a hearing in court on July 29. The invocation is not an admission of guilt, but a means of protecting a citizen from pressure.

As the New York Post reports, the Senate Homeland Security Committee, by a vote of 8 to 5, declared the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases guilty of contempt of Congress because he invoked his rights under the Fifth Amendment and refused to testify last week about the pandemic.

The contempt resolution authorizes the President of the Senate, who is the Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, to transmit the Homeland Security Committee’s report on Fauci to the U.S. Attorney in Washington, Jeanine Pirro, for possible criminal prosecution. This misdemeanor could carry a prison sentence of up to one year and a fine of $1,000 for Fauci if convicted.

He said one thing publicly, but privately another

The hearing on July 29 had moments of tension, such as when one of Fauci’s lawyers tried to block the persistent questions of Senator Rand Paul, who in turn attempted—and succeeded—in removing the lawyer from the room.

Paul focused, among other things, on what Fauci says about the origin of the coronavirus. He accuses him of saying publicly that the virus originated naturally, but privately supporting that it is a product of a laboratory.

Rand Paul had released 1,000 pages of Fauci’s writings from the period of the pandemic in which he recorded his thoughts on the origin of the coronavirus.

Fauci himself considers Paul to be biased against him and during his opening remarks before the hearing argued that “he called me to the committee to get something, anything, out of me” and thus fulfill his public promises that “he will end up behind bars.”

“All he had to do was tell the truth, but he refused more than 100 times”

“Fauci faced no risk of federal prosecution. All he had to do was tell the truth,” Paul claimed shortly before the vote. “But more than 100 times, he refused.”

“The chairman ruled that Dr. Fauci’s invocation of the Fifth Amendment right had no basis, given the pardon and the testimony he provided in his opening statement. The chairman ordered Anthony Fauci to answer. He refused again,” he added.

Earlier on Thursday, Senator Ron Johnson (Republican from Wisconsin) had stated that the Homeland Security Committee had received a copy of Fauci’s telephone conversations from the Department of Health and Human Services—and requested an additional transcript of the interview with the former head of NIAID.