Trump Officials Stall GOP Push to Prosecute Fauci
Trump Officials Stall GOP Push to Prosecute Fauci
The News
The Republican push to prosecute Dr. Anthony Fauci for contempt of Congress has stalled, with Trump administration officials questioning whether the legal approach is strong enough to support an indictment, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
Three weeks after a GOP-led Senate committee voted to hold the retired public health official in contempt, the Justice Department still has no formal referral in hand.
Officials are skeptical the current approach is "procedurally sound" enough to indict, according to the Journal.
Timeline
Sen. Rand Paul's Senate Homeland Security Committee votes to hold Fauci in contempt over his refusal to answer questions about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Paul bypasses a full Senate floor vote — which would have required 60 votes to pass — and instead calls on Vice President JD Vance to certify the contempt resolution.
Paul's office finally sends the contempt report to Vance's office, according to the Journal.
The Journal reports the effort is hitting a wall. The Justice Department has received a letter from Paul but no formal referral of the contempt resolution.
Reactions
Administration officials told the Journal that certifying the document could force the White House to defend it in court, where it might not survive a motion to dismiss.
People familiar with internal discussions said President Trump has not made prosecuting Fauci a priority.
Right-leaning outlets covered the setback bluntly. Newsmax reported that Paul's push "has stalled, as Trump administration officials question whether the contempt case is legally strong enough to move forward." Citizen Free Press headlined it: "Plan to prosecute Fauci not going well."
On the left, AlterNet framed the collapse as a Republican effort "thwarted by bungled paperwork," casting it as part of a broader campaign against the president's perceived foes.
What's Next
The White House has to decide whether Vance certifies the resolution and refers it to the Justice Department — or whether the effort quietly fades.
If a case were ever brought and won, a contempt of Congress conviction carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
Two questions hang over any prosecution: whether Paul's move to skip a full Senate vote can survive a legal challenge, and what effect the pardon President Biden granted Fauci would have.
More
The split here is not left versus right. It is between congressional Republicans who want the case brought and executive branch lawyers who think the paperwork behind it will not hold up in a courtroom.
The story was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and picked up across the spectrum — Mediaite, Political Wire, The Independent, Raw Story, AlterNet, Newsmax and Citizen Free Press.
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