Fauci Pleads the Fifth; Paul Says Pardon Forfeits That Right

Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right and refused to answer questions at a July 29, 2026 Senate hearing on COVID-19 origins. Committee chair Sen. Rand Paul argued that Fauci's presidential pardon eliminates any self-incrimination risk, precluding the privilege. The intersection of executive clemency and compelled-testimony protections remains legally untested in this form.