Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was back on Capitol Hill Monday, June 3, testifying about the coronavirus pandemic. Under questioning, Fauci repeatedly denied using a personal email for government business.
“To the best of my knowledge, I have never conducted official business using my personal email,” Fauci told the committee.
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic recently discovered evidence that Fauci’s senior adviser, Dr. David Morens, bragged about deleting emails from his government account and transferring them to a personal account in order to evade Freedom of Information Act requests.
Morens wrote in an email to colleagues: “i learned from our foia lady here how to make emails disappear after I’m foia’d but before the search starts.”
In another email he wrote: “I forgot to say there is no worry about FOIA’s. I can either send stuff to Tony on his private gmail, or hand it to him at work … He is too smart to let colleagues send him stuff that could cause trouble.”
Fauci repeatedly denied using personal accounts and distanced himself from Morens.
“Dr Fauci, did you ever delete an official record?” Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., asked.
“No,” Fauci responded.
“Dr Fauci, did you ever conduct official business via email?” Comer followed.
Fauci denied it again and added, “Using a personal email for official business violates NIH policy.”
Fauci also addressed other accusations that he claims are false, including an accusation that he tried to influence doctors into saying the virus started with a natural spillover rather than a lab leak.
“The accusation being circulated that I influenced these scientists to change their minds by bribing them with millions of dollars in grant money is absolutely false and simply preposterous,” Fauci said.
While many Republicans on the committee were cordial, he was still attacked for being the face of mask mandates and social distancing. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., even refused to call him a doctor until she was instructed to by the chairman.
“That man does not deserve to have a license,” Greene said. “As a matter of fact, it should be revoked, and he belongs in prison.”
Democrats came to his defense.
“They’re treating you, Dr Fauci, like a convicted felon,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said. “Actually, you probably wish they were treating you like a convicted felon. They treat convicted felons with love and admiration.”
Years of this spotlight have taken a toll on Fauci, who stepped down from his government position at the end of 2022. He was asked to describe what his family has gone through.
“There have been credible death threats leading to the arrests of two individuals,” Fauci said. “And credible death threats means someone who clearly was on their way to kill me.”
Fauci then became emotional.
“It’s required my having protective services essentially all the time,” he said. “It is very troublesome to me. It is much more troublesome because they’ve involved my wife and my three daughters.”
