WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), chairman of the committee, sought to send the contempt referral directly to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia. Paul said the committee would hand-deliver the referral to the Justice Department. “It’s a good legal discussion, and we will make those legal points to DOJ in sending the referral over,” Paul said.

Lawmakers allege Fauci funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology through sub-grants to the EcoHealth Alliance. Claims have been made that the research funded by Fauci unleashed SARS-CoV-2. Lawmakers accuse Fauci of engineering a cover-up to suppress the lab-leak hypothesis.

Fauci testified that the NIH did not fund gain-of-function research. Official agency determinations under the HHS regulatory framework at the time did not classify the study of naturally occurring bat viruses as restricted gain-of-function. The NIH grant in question supported efforts to sample wild bat coronaviruses, conduct surveillance among wildlife and human populations near disease hotspots, and understand mechanisms driving zoonotic spillover.

Why It Matters

The contempt vote shows an ongoing dispute between congressional investigators and former public health officials regarding the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. The committee's action follows a pattern of legislative attempts to compel testimony and documents related to federal pandemic response decisions and research funding.

The referral to the Justice Department initiates a process where prosecutors must decide whether to pursue charges for contempt of Congress. The outcome may influence future interactions between executive branch officials and congressional subpoenas, particularly in cases involving national security or public health emergencies.

Timeline

On August 6, 2026, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions under subpoena, with the resolution passing on August 6, 2026, with a vote of 8-5 down party lines.

What's New

Later reporting identified Paul as a Republican senator from Kentucky and chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Additional details revealed that Fauci declined a request to voluntarily appear before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

Further information showed that Fauci and his attorneys disputed Paul's position regarding the effect of the presidential pardon on Fifth Amendment privileges. He argued that President Biden’s pardon removed Fauci’s risk of federal prosecution and therefore undermined his basis for refusing to answer lawmakers’ questions. Reports also noted that Paul has repeatedly called for Fauci to be prosecuted.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on specific details regarding the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. One source notes the committee voted to hold Dr. Fauci in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions under subpoena, with the resolution passing on August 6, 2026, with a vote of 8-5 down party lines. Another source states the committee received more than 1,000 pages of Fauci’s personal diary before his July hearing.

Descriptions of the committee's actions vary. One account states the committee voted Thursday, Aug. 6, to hold Dr. Fauci, the federal official who led the government's coronavirus response in 2020, in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions. A different record shows that the committee received more than 1,000 pages of Fauci’s personal diary before his July hearing.

Voting records indicate Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress. Separate documentation notes the committee received more than 1,000 pages of Fauci’s personal diary before his July hearing.

Timing descriptions differ between sources. One states the vote approving the contempt resolution came a week after Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Another source focuses on the committee receiving more than 1,000 pages of Fauci’s personal diary before his July hearing.

Hearing transcripts show Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times during a July Senate hearing. Other records emphasize that the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee received more than 1,000 pages of Fauci’s personal diary before his July hearing.

Committee definitions vary. One source identifies Senate Homeland Security as a standing committee of the United States Senate. Another source details that the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee received more than 1,000 pages of Fauci’s personal diary before his July hearing.