Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that his office is launching an investigation into Dr. Anthony Fauci to determine whether his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic violated Florida law and caused physical or financial harm to residents of the state.
The investigation comes just days after Fauci appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 111 times rather than answer lawmakers’ questions about the federal government’s pandemic response. Uthmeier said Fauci’s refusal to testify raised serious concerns that warrant further examination under state law.
In a statement, Uthmeier said his office will investigate “what Fauci knew, when he knew it, and how he misled the American people.” He added that investigators will examine “the physical and monetary harms to Floridians” that may have resulted from Fauci’s actions and determine whether those actions expose him to liability under Florida law.
The attorney general pointed to documents released by Sen. Rand Paul that include Fauci’s internal notes from the early days of the pandemic. According to Uthmeier, the records suggest Fauci privately estimated COVID-19’s fatality rate at roughly 0.2% to 0.3% while later telling Congress the mortality rate was around 1%, an issue investigators are expected to examine as part of the inquiry.
Florida Sens. Ashley Moody and Rick Scott also questioned Fauci during last week’s Senate hearing, pressing him about his communications, pandemic policies, and relationships with other federal health officials. Fauci declined to answer those questions as well, citing the advice of his attorneys and invoking the Fifth Amendment throughout the hearing.
The Florida investigation adds to mounting legal and political scrutiny surrounding Fauci. Sen. Rand Paul has said his committee intends to pursue contempt proceedings, while Sen. Ted Cruz has argued Fauci should face criminal prosecution. Although no criminal charges have been filed against Fauci, Uthmeier said Florida intends to determine whether state law provides any basis for legal action stemming from the government’s handling of the pandemic.
The post Florida Launches Investigation Into Fauci Over Alleged COVID-19 Harms appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
