When the Senator Calls You Anthony Fauci, You Know You’re in Trouble

Every child learns the hierarchy before learning to read.

“Dave” means dinner is ready.

“David” means you should probably answer.

“David Michael Thompson” means something has happened, your mother knows about it, and whatever legal strategy you have developed upstairs is unlikely to survive cross-examination.

Anthony Fauci has now reached the congressional stage of this process.

On Wednesday morning he appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee pursuant to a subpoena and, on the advice of counsel, invoked his Fifth Amendment right. He declined to answer questions. Repeatedly.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who had spent the previous days defending the release of Fauci’s contemporaneous notes, responded with a question: “Dear Diary... If I plead the Fifth, will I still be famous?”

Later the same day, Senator Ron Johnson posted the following:

“I just sent letters to former FDA officials and Anthony Fauci to appear voluntarily for transcribed interviews.

The American people deserve answers, and I will issue subpoenas if they do not appear voluntarily.”

There it is.

Anthony Fauci.

Not Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Not former NIAID Director Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.

Johnson, chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, is requesting a transcribed interview by August 14. The subjects: the federal pandemic response, early treatments, and the development, deployment, safety monitoring, and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines. Similar letters went to former FDA officials Peter Marks, Narayan Nair, Steven Anderson, and Manette Niu.

The invitation is voluntary.

Johnson’s letter is admirably clear about the meaning of the word. If Fauci does not comply voluntarily, or delays the interview, Johnson says he “will not hesitate to use compulsory process.”

His subcommittee has previously alleged that federal health officials ignored warnings about their vaccine-safety monitoring system and used a data-mining method that obscured potential safety signals. Johnson now wants to know what Fauci knew about those issues and about adverse events being reported to federal surveillance systems.

Those are serious questions. A transcribed interview is the formal way of asking them.

For now, Fauci has until August 14.

Anthony Fauci, come downstairs.

The American public would like a word.