Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced he is opening an investigation into Dr. Anthony Fauci after the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director refused to answer questions before Congress on Wednesday, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination instead.
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“Fauci’s lack of candor to Congress is unbelievable,” Uthmeier wrote on social media. “My office is launching an investigation into Dr. Fauci. It’s past time we get the truth of what happened during COVID.”
Fauci received a full and unconditional pardon from former President Joe Biden on Biden’s last day in office, covering any offenses tied to his government service between Jan. 1, 2014, and Jan. 19, 2025. That pardon shields Fauci from federal prosecution but leaves him exposed to state charges, opening the door for attorneys general to pursue him under their own laws.
Uthmeier is the latest state official to move against Fauci. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said over the weekend that her office is also investigating him, pointing to inconsistencies between his sworn testimony and records that have since surfaced.
“Fauci lied. Louisiana and Missouri deposed Dr. Fauci. At the time, he claimed to not recall many key details of his own actions and now we are discovering contemporaneous records he kept,” Murrill said. “Louisiana will join Alabama and Florida in investigating Fauci and whether he committed any other offenses that could be pursued in our State courts.”
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Alabama has opened its own investigation as well, making Fauci the target of state probes in at least three states.
Wednesday’s hearing followed Sen. Rand Paul’s release of more than 1,000 pages from Fauci’s personal pandemic-era diary. The Kentucky Republican, who chairs the committee, said the documents showed Fauci’s private views on the pandemic response did not match what he told the American public at the time.
Fauci declined to answer dozens of questions during the nearly three-hour hearing, invoking the Fifth Amendment even in response to trivial queries about the color of his tie and the carpet in the room. Paul also had one of Fauci’s attorneys removed from the hearing after the lawyer repeatedly tried to speak without being recognized.
Paul said the Senate will vote next week on whether to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress.
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