Fauci's Covid-era phone obtained by Senate panel ahead of contempt vote after divisive doctor pleaded the FIFTH more than 100 times during Capitol Hill grilling

Published: 01:02, 6 August 2026 | Updated: 01:28, 6 August 2026 Senators investigating the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic have now obtained a copy of Dr Anthony Fauci's phone during the unprecedented crisis as the health official awaits whether he will be held in contempt.  Fauci was grilled by senators on the Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations about public health measures during the pandemic, during which he refused to answer questions and invoked his Fifth Amendment right over 100 times. On Thursday, the senators on the subcommittee will vote on whether to hold Fauci in contempt for refusing to answer the questions.  Senators have not said whether they will release their findings to the public, but the findings could be crucial to understanding how public health officials made decisions during the unprecedented pandemic.  The Department of Health and Human Services has obtained a copy of the phone and has transferred it to the subcommittee for review, the Wall Street Journal reported. A spokesperson for Senator Ron Johnson, who chairs the subcommittee, told the publication that Fauci used the phone while serving as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.  The subcommittee has pressed for documents related to how public health officials handled the pandemic, including Fauci's journals, which were released earlier this week. Sources familiar with the investigation told the Journal that Johnson and Senator Rand Paul have received millions of documents related to Fauci from government servers, and are still pushing for more.  Dr Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right during a hearing with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He is pictured above in front of the senators on July 29  Fauci refused to answer questions when grilled by senators on the subcommittee. He is seen before the elected officials during a hearing on July 29 Fauci has faced mounting pressure from the Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations to answer questions about the Covid-19 pandemic Fauci served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 1984 to 2022 and was a critical leader during the Covid-19 pandemic. His decisions during the health emergency have come under scrutiny and become the subject of political polarization.  After Donald Trump was elected president in 2024, then-President Joe Biden pre-emptively pardoned Fauci as Republicans vowed to federally prosecute the lead scientist. This is a breaking news story...