Anthony Fauci refuses to answer questions during US Senate hearing about Covid origins
He invoked the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution, which says no individual can be "compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself". Days before the hearing, Republican Senator Rand Paul released more than 1,000 pages of Fauci's pandemic-era writings, in which he mused about fame and the origins of Covid. Fauci said Paul has a grudge against him. He said he previously testified about Covid under oath at several congressional hearings."Although it pains me to do so because of the respect I have for the legislative branch of government ... under the advice of my attorneys, I will invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment of the constitution to refrain from answering your questions," said, Fauci, the former leader of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).Taking the Fifth is not an admission of guilt - it is designed to protect individuals against coercion, mistakes, and unfair burden-shifting.Fauci said Paul's "obvious obsession" with pushing for Fauci to be prosecuted had led him not to answer questions this time.
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