Dr. Anthony Fauci has been subpoenaed to testify publicly before a Senate panel following the release of documents that supporters of the subpoena say indicate the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases may have provided misleading testimony to lawmakers.
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs issued a subpoena for Fauci to appear publicly next month after he declined a request to testify voluntarily, Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., announced.
"Last week, Anthony Fauci notified us that he will not voluntarily testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, even though he had previously agreed to do so," Paul wrote on X. "Therefore, today we have issued a subpoena for him to publicly testify."
The move follows last week's declassification of documents by then-Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard that she says contradict Fauci's sworn congressional testimony regarding his involvement with intelligence officials during investigations into the origins of COVID-19.
According to documents released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Fauci briefed intelligence officials and recommended experts who supported the theory that the virus emerged naturally rather than from a laboratory.
During congressional testimony in 2024, Fauci denied having knowledge of discussions with intelligence agencies regarding virus research and the origins of COVID-19.
Gabbard said the newly released materials show that Fauci allegedly worked with intelligence officials and government insiders to shape public narratives surrounding the pandemic.
"The American people deserve transparency, truth, and accountability," Gabbard said in a statement. She accused Fauci and other officials of "manipulating intelligence" and "lying to Congress."
The documents are part of a broader declassification review ordered under President Donald Trump's transparency initiative.
Gabbard's office said whistleblowers provided testimony alleging that intelligence analysts who challenged the prevailing theory that COVID-19 emerged naturally faced retaliation and career consequences.
The controversy also revives longstanding questions about U.S. funding for coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
Fauci repeatedly sparred with Paul during Senate hearings over whether federal funds supported gain-of-function research at the facility.
While Fauci denied such funding supported risky experimentation, critics have argued otherwise.
The Epoch Times reported that declassified intelligence records show Fauci recommended experts, including scientists associated with the influential "Proximal Origin" paper, which concluded that COVID-19 likely emerged naturally.
Critics have alleged that Fauci and former NIH Director Francis Collins helped shape the paper behind the scenes despite not being listed as authors.
Fauci has not publicly responded to the subpoena.
His upcoming testimony is expected to focus on his communications with intelligence agencies, federal funding of coronavirus research, and the government's handling of investigations into COVID-19's origins.