World
Anthony Fauci refuses to answer Senate questions on Covid origins
The former US health official declined to answer questions during a tense Senate hearing on the origins of Covid-19.
The former top health official in the United States, Anthony Fauci, has declined to answer questions during a tense US Senate hearing investigating the origins of Covid-19.
According to reporting by international wire services, the Senate hearing descended into conflict as Dr Fauci made the decision to withhold responses from lawmakers. The former public health official stated that he feared Republican senators would attempt to trip him up during the tense questioning, with the ultimate goal of prosecuting him for perjury.
The session was organised by the Senate to examine the origins of the global pandemic, a topic that has remained highly politicised in Washington. However, the hearing made little progress on the central matter of how the virus began after Dr Fauci chose to stay silent on key points of inquiry.
It remains unclear what specific lines of questioning Dr Fauci believed were designed to entrap him, as full transcripts of the tense session have not yet been finalised. No formal charges of perjury have been made against the former health chief, and it is not yet confirmed if any legal counsel was present to advise him during the exchanges.
Dr Fauci's decision to refuse to answer questions represents a significant moment of friction between the former public health leader and congressional investigators. The confrontation highlights the deep and enduring distrust that persists between public health figures and conservative US politicians.
What to watch next is whether Senate Republicans will take formal legal steps to challenge Dr Fauci's refusal, such as issuing subpoenas to force his testimony in future hearings.
This report draws on original reporting by Wire report.
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