Covid-19 Transparency Investigation: Senate Subcommittee Obtains Copy of Fauci’s Official Phone

Just one day before a vote that could hold him in contempt of Congress, a U.S. Senate subcommittee obtained a copy of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s official iPhone. The former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is at the center of an investigation by the subcommittee.

A spokesperson for Republican Senator Ron Johnson said the device was turned over to the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Johnson said he hopes the phone’s data will help clarify issues that, according to him, Fauci declined to address at last week’s hearing.

Republican Senators Ron Johnson and Rand Paul are leading the investigation. They have long raised questions about Fauci’s role during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as his handling of information about the origins of the coronavirus. Republicans say his refusal to cooperate raises questions, while Democrats describe the proceedings as part of a political campaign targeting the scientist.

The Senate committee is expected to vote on a resolution to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress. During questioning, he invoked his rights under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution more than 100 times, declining to answer questions that could incriminate him.

Rand Paul has said that approval of the resolution would lead to the matter being referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for further review.

As the investigation proceeded, the committee also released more than 1,100 pages from Fauci’s personal diary, covering the years 2019–2022. The documents detail his activities throughout the pandemic, communications with officials in the Trump and Biden administrations, public appearances, and concerns he had about the management of the public health crisis.

Meanwhile, Fauci is protected by a preemptive pardon granted by former President Joe Biden at the end of his term. The pardon shields him from federal prosecution over statements or actions related to the pandemic period.