If Anthony Fauci thinks his sudden retirement will provide immunity from congressional investigations into his conduct, he’s sorely mistaken.
At least, that’s the situation according to one senator known for putting Fauci on the hot seat.
Senator Rand Paul warned Fauci that his retirement wouldn’t shield him from probes into the coronavirus epidemic in a Tuesday tweet.
Fauci’s resignation will not prevent a full-throated investigation into the origins of the pandemic. He will be asked to testify under oath regarding any discussions he participated in concerning the lab leak.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 22, 2022
Fauci formally announced his retirement from the government on Monday.
He’s stepping down as the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, as well as President Joe Biden’s chief medical advisor.
The doctor’s retirement will take effect in December, just before Republicans would stand to take control of one or both chambers of Congress in the event of a “Red Wave” midterm.
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Paul’s confrontations with the federal medical czar in Senate hearings have become the stuff of legend for Fauci’s critics.
Paul will continue to grill Fauci on the question of coronavirus’ origins, according to Fox News.
The Kentucky senator has previously questioned the NIH director on the agency’s role in funding alleged “gain-of-function” research at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology.
“This is a lab that Dr. Fauci personally funded through the NIH, personally approved of it, and it’s also research that never underwent the scrutiny of the pandemic virus committee that should have been looking at this,” said Paul.
Fauci has dismissed the possibility of the disease escaping from a laboratory, while refusing to rule out the scenario entirely.
“I think it’s no coincidence that he’s decided to step down right after the election,” Paul said of Fauci’s retirement.
“I think he, like many people, perceive that the Republicans will take over at least one house of Congress and that there will be an investigation into his wrongdoing.”
Other members of Congress have vowed to continue scrutiny of Fauci’s public health decisions in the aftermath of his retirement announcement.
So Dr. Fauci is stepping down in December.
That won’t stop a Republican Congress from telling the truth about his disastrous tenure and holding him accountable for the mistakes he made and the lies he told.
— Rep. Darrell Issa (@repdarrellissa) August 22, 2022
In a Tuesday letter, Paul directed the National Institute of Health to preserve all documents and communications in Fauci’s possession related to his tenure at the NIH, according to the Daily Caller.
