Senator Rand Paul made a criminal referral to the Justice Department seeking an investigation and possible criminal charges against Dr. Anthony Fauci for allegedly lying under oath to Congress.
The referral surrounds testimony given by Fauci regarding gain-of-function research at China’s Wuhan virus lab in 2021.
“Before Congress, Dr. Fauci denied funding gain-of-function research, to the press he claims to have a dispassionate view on the lab leak hypothesis, and in private he acknowledges gain-of-function research at WIV (Wuhan Institute of Virology) to his colleagues,” Paul wrote in a letter to District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves.
Paul notes that a congressional hearing “is not the place for a public servant to play political games — especially when the health and well-being of American citizens is on the line.”
He added, “For this reason, I request that you investigate whether Dr. Fauci’s statements to Congress on May 11, 2021, violated 18 U.S.C. § 1001 or any other statute.”
Since AG Garland doesn’t appear to want to do his job, I’ve today sent evidence for a criminal referral for Anthony Fauci to the US Attorney in DC. https://t.co/lRo2XLuwP3
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 8, 2023
RELATED: Rand Paul Sends Letter Demanding AG Investigate Doctor Anthony Fauci For Perjury
Fauci Criminal Referral
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under the NIH, has consistently denied that the NIH funded research that may have led to COVID.
In May of 2021, he testified before Congress that, “The NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.”
An email released last month, however, showed Fauci confirming a year prior to his testimony that research in Wuhan was of the gain-of-function variety, if not “directly funded” by the NIH.
That email shows the doctor stating flat-out that “scientists in Wuhan University are known to have been working on gain-of-function experiments to determine that molecular mechanisms associated with bat viruses adapting to human infection, and the outbreak originated in Wuhan.”
?BREAKING?
New emails reveal that Dr. Fauci was aware of risky gain-of-function research occurring in Wuhan, China prior to the emergence of COVID-19.
Why didn’t he tell the American people?@COVIDSelect is demanding answers? pic.twitter.com/pvxtaCRB5s
— Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic (@COVIDSelect) July 13, 2023
“In a subsequent hearing, I warned Dr. Fauci of the criminal implications of lying to Congress and offered him an opportunity to recant his previous statements,” Paul said in his letter to Graves.
“In response, Dr. Fauci stated that he had ‘never lied before the Congress’ and ‘d[id] not retract that statement,'” the Kentucky Republican continued. “Dr. Fauci’s testimony is inconsistent with facts that have since come to light.”
Paul’s letter appears to be a result of radio silence from Attorney General Merrick Garland. Paul made a similar criminal referral of Fauci to Garland weeks ago but, according to the Daily Mail, “the DOJ never responded.”
JUST IN: Rand Paul has referred Dr. Fauci to top D.C. prosecutor for criminal charges for lying under oath about COVID origins.
Prosecute / Fauci.
The move by Paul comes just weeks after he submitted a criminal referral for Fauci with the DOJ.
If convicted, Fauci could face up… pic.twitter.com/igxfO1pZzR
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 9, 2023
RELATED: Rand Paul Celebrates Fauci Retirement Announcement: Now I Can Get Him Under Oath!
Memory Hole
Fauci has frequently downplayed the lab leak theory.
GOP lawmakers released emails showing Fauci not only downplayed the ‘lab leak’ theory but actively commissioned a study to disprove it. And then pretended to the public that he hadn’t.
Fauci had already been under fire regarding the effectiveness of mask-wearing during the pandemic as well as the efficacy of the vaccine.
Dr. Fauci admits his wearing masks indoors despite being vaccinated was based on imagery, not science:
“I didn’t want to look like I was giving mixed signals but being a fully vaccinated person, the chances of my getting infected in an indoor setting is extremely low.” pic.twitter.com/UdJdhHvoR0
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) May 18, 2021
Fauci told the public that vaccinated people become “dead ends” for COVID-19. Such a claim was suspected to have been false at the time and was ultimately proven completely false.
Dr. Fauci saying vaccinated people become “dead end” for the coronavirus pic.twitter.com/qEL6DquRhw
— Think for Yourself (@PhilipBLee) August 6, 2023
In a particularly heated exchange, Senator Paul accused Fauci of lying about the gain-of-function research “because you are trying to obscure responsibility for four million people dying around the world from a pandemic.”
“Senator Paul, you do not know what you’re talking about, quite frankly, and I want to say that officially,” Fauci said at the time. “You do not know what you are talking about.”
“Senator Paul,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said during a Senate hearing on Tuesday, “you do not know what you are talking about, quite frankly, and I want to say that officially.”
Read more: https://t.co/I8rOm7xuim pic.twitter.com/ifhWUnm5v6
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 21, 2021
The evidence suggests otherwise.
Fauci predicted that Republican lawmakers would continue their pursuit of him, but hinted that pursuit would be lessened if he were to retire.
“They’re going to try and come after me, anyway. I mean, probably less so if I’m not in the job,” he told Politico.
Perjury is a federal offense with a possible five-year prison sentence.
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