Florida’s attorney general announced an investigation into Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, after the scientist invoked his Fifth Amendment right and declined to answer any questions during a congressional hearing.
The probe will assess potential violations of state law, focusing on what Fauci knew, when he knew it, and whether his public statements misled the American public. It will also examine any physical or financial harms that Floridians may have suffered as a result.
The decision follows revelations from a Senate committee that internal notes written by Fauci on government computers suggested he privately estimated the COVID‑19 death rate at 0.2‑0.3%, considerably lower than his public assessments.
In a February 2020 entry, Fauci noted that, assuming a much larger number of infections, the case‑fatality rate could be around 0.2‑0.3% and likened the situation to a severe influenza.
By March 2020, his testimony before a House committee cited a mortality rate of about 1%, describing COVID‑19 as roughly ten times more lethal than the seasonal flu.
During a recent Senate hearing, Fauci exercised his Fifth Amendment privilege and refused to answer 111 questions posed by legislators.
Other Republican lawmakers have called for Fauci to be held in contempt of Congress, arguing that his refusal to testify undermines accountability and public trust.
The Senate committee plans to vote on a contempt motion next week, a step that could set a precedent for future enforcement of congressional authority.
