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Senate panel rejects effort to grant immunity to former Fauci aide
A Senate committee has rejected an effort to grant legal immunity to a longtime former aide to Dr. Anthony Fauci, preventing the panel from compelling her testimony as part of its investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and pandemic-era conduct.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 8-7 Wednesday on a resolution that would have authorized Senate Legal Counsel to seek a court order granting the witness immunity. Federal law requires support from two-thirds of the 15-member committee, or 10 votes, for the request to move forward.
All eight Republicans on the committee supported the resolution, while no Democrats voted in favor. The measure therefore fell short of the required threshold.
Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., has sought testimony from the former Fauci aide as part of the committee's broader investigation. The panel has not publicly identified the witness in its official announcement.
The former aide recently appeared for a closed-door deposition after being subpoenaed by the committee. She invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to answer questions. Paul has argued that granting immunity would allow her to provide testimony while protecting her compelled statements from being used against her in a criminal prosecution.
According to Paul's committee, the witness served as Fauci's special assistant from 2007 until his departure from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 2022. The committee says her position put her in contact with communications relevant to its investigation.
The failed vote comes after the committee took action against Fauci himself. In August, Republicans on the panel voted 8-5 to advance a resolution holding Fauci in contempt of Congress after he repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during a July 29 hearing.
Fauci's testimony was part of the committee's investigation into the origins of COVID-19. His attorney has argued that Fauci had legal grounds to invoke his constitutional privilege, while Paul has disputed that position.
The committee's latest vote does not grant immunity to the former aide or compel her testimony.
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By: CNN Newsource
September 25, 2026
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