Moment gallery cheers as Fauci lawyer thrown out of Senate hearing
Dr Anthony Fauci’s defence lawyer David Schertler was escorted out of a Senate COVID hearing on Wednesday after repeatedly speaking without being recognised by the chair.
Committee Chairman Senator Rand Paul ordered Capitol Police to remove Schertler after the attorney attempted to address the panel without authorisation during the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing.
Fauci himself refused to answer 15 consecutive questions regarding NIH research funding and COVID-19 pandemic origins, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination throughout the hearing.
Paul argued that a 2025 presidential pardon granted by former President Joe Biden does not shield Fauci from testifying, warning that refusing to answer questions could result in congressional obstruction charges.
Fauci accused Paul of conducting an “unhinged” campaign aimed at entrapping him into criminal prosecution.
In a statement, Schertler called Paul’s pursuit “an obsessive vendetta,” saying the accusations “are false and disgraceful, and we will examine all options to hold him accountable.”
