He invoked the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution - which says nobody can be "compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself" - more than 100 times. Contradicting himself under oath could be legally perilous for him. Fauci noted he had testified about Covid and its origin at several congressional hearings. Republicans have long accused Fauci of concealing information about the pandemic from the public and lying about its dangers. He has denied wrongdoing. Fauci has called the allegations against him "simply preposterous" in previous testimony to lawmakers. "Although it pains me to do so because of the respect I have for the legislative branch of government...

under the advice of my attorneys, I will invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment of the constitution to refrain from answering your questions," said, Fauci, 85, former leader of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), at Wednesday's hearing. Taking the Fifth is not an admission of guilt - it is designed to protect individuals against coercion, mistakes, and unfair shifting of the burden to provide proof of wrongdoing. While he was granted a pre-emptive pardon by former President Joe Biden, protecting him from federal prosecution for his actions between 2014-25, Fauci could still face charges for anything after that date, including in his actions towards the Senate committee. He could also face state or local charges. In his statement to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security on Wednesday, Fauci said Republican Senator Rand Paul, who cha…