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Dr. Anthony Fauci faces potential state-level prosecution after invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 111 times during a Senate hearing on Wednesday. Officials in Alabama and Florida announced separate investigations into whether the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director can be held accountable under state law for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic response.
President Joe Biden’s recent blanket pardon of Fauci eliminates federal criminal exposure, but Republican officials contend it provides no shield against state charges. The U.S. Constitution limits presidential pardons to “offences against the United States,” leaving state prosecutions unaffected under their interpretation of federal law.
Alabama Senate candidate Tommy Tuberville declared his intention to pursue Fauci aggressively if elected governor. “When I’m governor of Alabama, I will look into ways we can hold Fauci accountable for all of the Alabamians who died under his watch,” Tuberville told Fox News Digital, characterizing the Biden pardon as ineffective at the state level.
Tuberville vowed to summon Fauci to Montgomery repeatedly and encouraged Alabamians to file civil lawsuits against the 85-year-old immunologist. He suggested state litigation could occupy Fauci’s remaining years, telling Fox Business: “He’s going to court every day of his life for the rest of his life.”
Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier confirmed an ongoing investigation examining “any and all potential violations of Florida law.” His office stated it would focus on what Fauci knew, when he knew it, and how his conduct may have caused physical and monetary harm to Floridians.
Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, who is running for Florida governor, endorsed the investigation and criticized Fauci’s policies for creating widespread hardship. Collins, a disabled veteran, described being forced to choose between obtaining prosthetic care through Veterans Affairs and declining a COVID-19 vaccination.
California Republican gubernatorial nominee Neel Hilton announced plans for a similar accountability commission if elected. “When I’m governor of California we will have a COVID Accountability Commission,” Hilton stated, pledging to examine both Fauci and state officials over pandemic policies.
Governor Ron DeSantis characterized Fauci as “the most destructive bureaucrat in the history of the United States of America” when responding to diary entries in which Fauci criticized the Florida governor’s pandemic approach.
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