· Judiciary Insight · Senate · 1 min read
Lankford and Paul Question Fauci’s Fifth Amendment Claim After Pardon
Full context
Sen. James Lankford raised the case of former IRS official Lois Lerner while discussing Dr. Anthony Fauci’s decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment during a July 29, 2026, Senate hearing.
Lankford asked whether Fauci’s situation presented a similar question after Fauci received a presidential pardon. Sen. Rand Paul responded by distinguishing the circumstances and said the effect of the pardon on Fauci’s Fifth Amendment claim was a question for the courts to resolve.
The exchange was part of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing examining Fauci’s federal service and the origins of COVID-19.
Read the committee’s hearing page.
