Florida Attorney General Launches Investigation Into Fauci Over COVID Claims

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced an investigation into Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former top health adviser to the White House, on Wednesday. The move came after Fauci refused to answer questions at a U.S. Senate hearing. Fauci used his Fifth Amendment right, which lets Americans stay silent so they do not say something that could be used against them in court. Uthmeier said Fauci's silence was unacceptable and promised to find the truth about decisions made during the COVID pandemic.

The Senate hearing got heated when Kentucky Senator Rand Paul questioned Fauci about U.S. money that may have gone to a lab in China. That lab was located in the region where the first COVID cases were reported. Paul told Fauci there would be consequences for refusing to answer and scheduled a meeting for August 5 to talk about holding Fauci in contempt of Congress. Being held in contempt means a person could face punishment for not cooperating with lawmakers.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also weighed in on the situation. He said on the social media platform X that Fauci should not be able to use the Fifth Amendment because President Biden gave him a preemptive pardon before leaving office. A preemptive pardon means a person is forgiven for possible crimes before they are even charged. DeSantis argued this pardon removes Fauci's reason to stay silent. He added that only a state attorney general or state prosecutor could bring a legal case against Fauci now.

Uthmeier is no stranger to high-profile investigations. Since being appointed by DeSantis in February 2025, he has taken on cases involving health organizations and rules used by the NFL. Before becoming attorney general, Uthmeier worked as DeSantis's chief of staff during the pandemic. He said about a month ago that he was losing sleep thinking about how to build a case against Fauci, and he promised to move forward when ready.

DeSantis became well known during the COVID pandemic for pushing back against federal health guidelines. He made Florida one of the first states to reopen schools during the pandemic. He also chose Dr. Joseph Ladapo, a former UCLA researcher, to serve as Florida's surgeon general in 2021. Ladapo had written opinion pieces questioning the usefulness of masks and social distancing, which put him in the national spotlight alongside DeSantis.