Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is directing his office to investigate whether Oklahoma law was violated in connection with Dr. Anthony Fauci’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Republican gubernatorial candidate expressed support for the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s investigation into Fauci, who is the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor to the Biden administration.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY, subpoenaed Fauci to testify in front of the committee, which he chairs. Paul has argued for years that the SARS-CoV-2 virus came from a lab in China and that Fauci covered it up. Fauci denies this claim. Virologists who study pandemic origins say there is instead evidence to suggest an animal origin.
Fauci declined to answer senators’ questions during a July 29 hearing, invoking his Fifth Amendment right more than 100 times. He said Paul’s “obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution” justified this. Paul announced a resolution to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress Tuesday, which will be up for a vote Thursday.
In a letter to Paul, Drummond wrote he was “deeply disappointed” Fauci did not answer questions about his actions.
“The American people deserve a full accounting of what occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Drummond said in a press release. “An individual whose recommendations and guidance impacted the lives of millions should be willing to answer legitimate questions about their decisions and actions. Transparency and accountability are essential to restoring public trust.”
Paul published over 1,000 pages of journal entries Fauci wrote during the COVID-19 pandemic before last week’s Senate hearing. Drummond wrote in the letter to Paul that these entries made him question whether Fauci’s actions “rise to the level of independent state law crimes, such as criminal fraud or conspiracy to defraud the State.”
“Accordingly, I have instructed my office to open an investigation to determine whether any Oklahoma laws were violated in connection with these matters,” Drummond wrote. “If your committee is in possession of any evidence that indicates that Dr. Fauci may have violated State of Oklahoma criminal statutes, please have someone contact my office right away.”
Oklahoma is joining Florida, Alabama and Louisiana in investigating whether Fauci broke state law.
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