Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee, is calling on the Justice Department to prosecute former top health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci for allegedly lying to Congress — a move he says is necessary to test the legality of President Biden’s controversial autopen-signed pardons.
“I do believe Anthony Fauci committed a felony by lying to Congress,” Paul told conservative activist Charlie Kirk in a recent interview, referring to Biden’s use of an autopen — a mechanical device used to reproduce a signature — to issue several last-minute pardons.
“You have to charge him with a felony, take him to court, and then the court will decide whether or not the pardon is upheld,” Paul argued. “You can debate the autopen and Biden’s awareness all you want, but ultimately, someone has to be charged to challenge it.”
Paul pointed to Fauci’s congressional testimony denying that the National Institutes of Health funded gain-of-function virus research in Wuhan, China — a statement Paul claims was contradicted by researchers involved in the funding process.
“I think Fauci is the clearest case for prosecution. Hunter Biden is another possibility,” Paul added, saying the courts will have to weigh in if the legality of Biden’s pardons is to be tested.
President Biden has defended the use of the autopen for issuing a wave of pardons, including to his son Hunter Biden, former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, and members of the House Jan. 6 Committee.
“I made every decision,” Biden told The New York Times earlier this month. “We’re talking about a whole lot of people,” he said, adding that staff used the autopen to replicate his signature for efficiency.
Some Republicans remain skeptical about trying to overturn the pardons in court, particularly after Biden confirmed he personally approved each one.
