Dr. Anthony Fauci’s troubles in Washington continue after a heated Senate hearing. The House Oversight Committee is now scrutinizing why Congress only recently received Fauci’s pandemic-era diary and cellphone. The blame is directed at former President Joe Biden’s health official.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., wrote a letter addressing a request made in November 2023 by House Republicans to Xavier Becerra, the former Health and Human Services Secretary and California gubernatorial candidate. They sought records from Fauci with keywords like “COVID-19,” “gain-of-function,” and “Wuhan.” Comer expressed concern over the missing diary contents, questioning whether it was intentionally withheld or inadequately searched for in November 2023.
“These terms, among others outlined in the document request, appear throughout Dr. Fauci’s diary. Despite the existence of this clearly relevant and responsive information, you failed to include any portion of Dr. Fauci’s diary in your response, let alone even acknowledge its existence,” Comer wrote.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. provided Fauci’s diary and cellphone to Senators Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., earlier this year. The released diary prompted criticism as many perceived it highlighted Fauci’s interest in his fame during a challenging time for Americans. Over 1,000 pages revealed Fauci’s reflections as the pandemic evolved, including his considerations of his public image.
Fauci testified to the now-defunct pandemic subcommittee in June 2024, stating, “The CDC was responsible for those kinds of guidelines to schools, not me.” He referenced measures like the six-foot distancing rule affecting school closures nationwide. However, Fauci’s diary includes entries suggesting he discussed these closures with political leaders. One 2020 entry recounts persuading New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to close schools based on Fauci’s public statements and private conversation.
During his Senate hearing in late July, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times when questioned about the pandemic impacts and diary revelations. Becerra, facing scrutiny from Comer, is running for California governor. Comer has posed questions to Becerra, seeking answers by September 2. These inquiries address Becerra’s awareness of the diary, reasons for its omission from the 2023 document request, and whether any Biden administration officials influenced him to withhold information.
The Fauci controversy follows the guilty plea of David Morens, a former Fauci adviser, to conspiracy in concealing COVID-19 records related to grant funding. In a June 2024 House hearing, Fauci acknowledged Morens’ inappropriate actions in editing a press release and altering a letter to the National Institutes of Health.
For more political coverage, follow Elizabeth Elkind, a Fox News Digital reporter specializing in the House of Representatives, on Twitter @liz_elkind, and send tips to [email protected].