Senate Panel Votes to Hold Fauci in Contempt

Federal prosecutors will now decide whether to bring charges against the doctor.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is sworn in during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on July 29, 2026. Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images

A Senate committee on Aug. 6 voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), in contempt of Congress.

The full Senate could consider the matter before making a referral to prosecutors, but Paul has said that might result in a negative vote.

Contempt of Congress is when a person who was subpoenaed by Congress “willfully makes default, or who, having appeared, refuses to answer any question pertinent to the question under inquiry.” Each count carries up to 12 months in prison.

Republican senators said they voted to hold Fauci in contempt for several reasons involving his recent appearance before the committee.

Senators pointed to how Congress voted to hold Lois Lerner, a former IRS official, in contempt after she read an opening statement during a hearing in 2013 before refusing to answer questions. Some also noted that Fauci received a preemptive pardon from former President Joe Biden.

Fauci’s lawyer, David Schertler, has said that Paul’s calls to prosecute Fauci trigger “what the Supreme Court has called a ‘basic function’ of the Fifth Amendment—‘to protect innocent men … who otherwise might be ensnared by ambiguous circumstances.’”

Several individuals who advised President Donald Trump during his first term were convicted of contempt of Congress after declining to cooperate with a congressional committee. They each served several months in prison.

This is a developing story that will be updated.