Florida Subpoenas Anthony Fauci Amid DOJ Contempt Review

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier subpoenaed former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci on August 5, 2026. The investigation, coordinated with the attorneys general of Louisiana and West Virginia, examines whether Fauci used his official position for personal gain during the COVID-19 pandemic. The probe was triggered by the release of Fauci's COVID-era journal entries and targets records on book deals, board positions, and a $900,000 award from the Dan David Foundation.

Simultaneously, the United States Department of Justice is reviewing a contempt of Congress referral against Fauci. The referral follows a Senate hearing where Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right more than 100 times when questioned about discrepancies between his private journals and public guidance. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted along party lines to hold him in contempt, a move Democrats have challenged as legally invalid.

Republicans argue that a preemptive pardon issued by President Joe Biden in January 2025 removes Fauci's justification for silence, though the pardon does not cover state charges or new federal offenses. Fauci's legal team has dismissed the contempt vote as a "crude political stunt," maintaining that he is exercising his constitutional rights. Fauci is required to produce the documents requested by Florida by the end of August.