Senate lawmakers obtain copy of Fauci’s pandemic-era phone
“Accountability is coming.”
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“Accountability is coming.”
Senate investigators have obtained a copy of Dr. Anthony Fauci's government-issued iPhone from his time at the Department of Health and Human Services as lawmakers continue their investigation into the federal government's COVID-19 response.
According to a report first published by The Wall Street Journal, the device was transferred from the Department of Health and Human Services to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI). It remains unclear what access investigators currently have to the contents of the phone.
https://twitter.com/SenRonJohnson/status/2085151154338415064?s=20
Johnson confirmed that the committee had obtained the copy, saying in a post to X, "The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has obtained a copy of Dr. Fauci’s phone from HHS. Hopefully, this device will address many of the questions he refused to answer at last week’s hearing."
The reported transfer comes as congressional scrutiny of Fauci continues following his appearance before the Senate last week, where he invoked the Fifth Amendment over 100 times while testifying under subpoena. On Thursday, the Senate is expected to vote on whether to hold the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director in contempt of Congress.
The copy of the phone was reportedly obtained as part of the Senate's broader investigation into the federal government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and questions surrounding research connected to the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
This also follows HHS's recent production of more than 1,000 pages from Fauci's personal pandemic-era diary to congressional investigators ahead of last week's hearing.
During the hearing last week, Republican lawmakers questioned Fauci about issues ranging from federal funding for gain-of-function research to the origins of COVID-19, while Democrats defended his decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment, arguing he faced a politically charged inquiry.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who subpoenaed Fauci to testify, has argued that the former White House medical adviser should face legal consequences. Following the hearing, Paul also questioned whether a presidential pardon would shield Fauci from all potential legal exposure, suggesting the issue could ultimately be resolved by the courts.
https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/2085111099360411697?s=20
On Wednesday afternoon, Paul tweeted a picture of Fauci alone at the hearing table and wrote, “Accountability is coming.”
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