Congress warns Anthony Fauci that committing perjury on Wednesday will invalidate the legal immunity granted by Biden

Ahead of a high-profile hearing on Capitol Hill, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer, warned former NIAID Director Anthony Fauci that the preemptive pardon granted by the previous administration will not grant him immunity if he misleads lawmakers.

This legal clarification seeks to define the scope of the pardon signed by Joe Biden before leaving office, as revealed by Fox News Digital.

Fauci will appear this Wednesday before a Senate panel led by Republican Rand Paul, just days after the release of hundreds of pages of his diaries written during the pandemic.

The entries revealed the former official's preference for "fame" over public health and reignited the debate over his operational decisions, such as school closures and the controversy surrounding the virus's origin.

The legal limits of biden's presidential pardon

The controversy centers on the controversial "preemptive" and "blanket" pardon issued by Joe Biden in the final hours of his term.

The measure covers possible misconduct committed by Fauci from January 1, 2014 through the date of its issuance, related to his performance at NIAID and with the White House COVID-19 response team. However, lawmakers emphasize that this pardon does not cover statements made after the fact.

"Now we know why President Biden granted Dr. Fauci a blanket pardon. While obsessed with his own fame, Dr. Fauci was not honest with the American people about the origins of COVID and advised that schools remain closed," Comer told Fox News Digital.

The Kentucky congressman highlighted the Senate's position: "Americans are still suffering the consequences of Dr. Fauci's actions. Biden's pardon does not cover Dr. Fauci's testimony this week, and if he continues to lie, he must be held accountable."

Questions from the medical caucus regarding the impact on public health

Members of the House Republican Medical Caucus echoed Comer's warning. The lawmakers, who practiced medicine before joining Congress, noted that Fauci's conduct undermined institutional credibility in the nation's healthcare system.

North Carolina Representative Greg Murphy stated that the former official, "obsessed with his own fame and vanity, put politics above science during the pandemic," labeling him the "primary culprit behind the multigenerational erosion of trust in American medicine."

For his part, Congressman John Joyce argued that the diaries confirm that "he was not honest about the origins of COVID-19," emphasizing that his obsession with preserving his image undermined the integrity of public institutions.

The released notes also show Fauci attributing influence to himself regarding school closure policies, which contrasts with his sworn testimony before the Oversight Committee in January 2024, when he stated: "I did not close the schools."

Despite the documentary evidence, Fauci has rejected the allegations, arguing that he is the target of a politically motivated attack.