Fauci pleads the 5th, Paul removes his lawyer as hearing explodes

On Wednesday morning, a much anticipated hearing featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci began as he appeared before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. It is Fauci’s first appearance before a legislative body since Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) released the diary Fauci kept using his government email account. The session quickly erupted into fireworks, as Chairman Paul had Anthony Fauci’s attorney removed for not following the directions of the chair.

Fauci used his own opening statement to defend his decades in government, noting that he had testified before or briefed Congress “well over 200 times” during his almost 40 years running the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases and framing that record as proof he “believe[s] in and respect[s] the value of legitimate congressional