Rand Paul Makes Big Move Following Biden Interview
Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is intensifying efforts to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci legally accountable, renewing a formal referral to the Department of Justice for potential criminal prosecution. The renewed referral follows revelations that Fauci received a presidential pardon—executed via autopen—raising constitutional questions about the legitimacy of the act and whether President Joe Biden personally authorized it.
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs issued a press release Monday outlining the renewed push. Central to Paul’s case is his long-standing accusation that Fauci lied to Congress during sworn testimony in May 2021.
Fauci had categorically denied that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. However, Paul points to internal communications—including a February 2020 email from Fauci himself—that contradict his testimony.
In that email, Fauci acknowledged that scientists in Wuhan were indeed conducting gain-of-function experiments to understand how bat viruses might adapt to infect humans. This internal admission, Paul argues, directly conflicts with Fauci’s public testimony, where he asserted that no such research was being funded by the U.S. government.
.@POTUS: "The autopen I think is maybe one of the biggest scandals that we've had in 50-100 years. This is a tremendous scandal... I guarantee you he knew nothing about what he was signing. I guarantee it." pic.twitter.com/ozngUkINSz
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 14, 2025
Paul originally referred the case to the DOJ in July 2023. The new referral raises the stakes following a report from The New York Times revealing that Fauci had quietly received a presidential pardon. The pardon, according to Paul’s letter, was issued by autopen, a mechanical signature device used by White House staff. The letter underscores that “there is no documented confirmation that the President personally reviewed or approved” Fauci’s clemency.
“This raises serious constitutional and legal concerns about the legitimacy of Dr. Fauci’s pardon,” Paul wrote. “If the President didn’t authorize this pardon personally, then the Department has a duty to investigate and prosecute as it would any ordinary citizen.”
Paul reiterated his position in a public statement: “Dr. Anthony Fauci lied under oath to Congress. His own emails contradict his sworn testimony. The autopen pardon—executed without confirmation of presidential review—should not shield him from legal accountability.”
President Donald Trump reacted strongly to the autopen revelation, calling it “maybe one of the biggest scandals that we’ve had in 50-100 years.” He questioned whether Biden even knew he had pardoned Fauci. “I guarantee you he knew nothing about what he was signing,” Trump said.