On Thursday, Senate committee Chairman Rand Paul led the session on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and Fauci’s, 85, oversight of research funding.

"As a committee, we have voted, the majority, to refer this, so that will be accomplished today," Paul said.

According to U.S. Constitution Online, "Contempt of Congress is a finding by either chamber that a person has interfered with Congress’s legislative or oversight work."

In practice, contempt most often arises when someone:

  • Refuses to comply with a congressional subpoena for documents or testimony
  • Refuses to answer questions after appearing, when the questions are pertinent
  • Refuses to appear at all when duly summoned

The Senate's action against Fauci stems from a July 29 hearing at which he repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, declining to answer more than 100 questions about COVID-19.

Years of debate between medical experts and intelligence officials have been underway regarding the origin of the virus, with many believing evidence of COVID emerging naturally in bats, then circulating to humans.

Others believe the virus was accidentally released into the population from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which was researching bat viruses.

In interviews, Fauci expressed openness to the virus’s origin, but when asked for his opinion, he believes it emerged organically.

During the Senate committee hearings, Fauci accused Paul of an "unhinged obsession" and of a desire to put him “behind bars” by prosecuting him, and said he feared the hearing could be used to build a criminal case or to elicit perjury.

He noted that a pardon issued by President Biden covers actions before January 2025 but would not shield him from charges related to false statements made under oath during the hearing.

Paul sought to hold Fauci in contempt, arguing that he cannot invoke the Fifth Amendment because of his Biden-era pardon.

Now, Fauci’s contempt charge will land in the office of Washington’s U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who could decide whether to prosecute him.