Legal clash over Fauci's Fifth Amendment testimony continues amid state investigations

In a Senate hearing, Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment repeatedly after receiving a full and unconditional pardon from former President Joe Biden in early 2025. Republican leaders argue the pardon removes any realistic chance of federal prosecution, while others contend it does not shield him from perjury liability or state-level investigations. State officials in Alabama and Florida are pursuing their own inquiries into whether Fauci's pandemic guidance violated state laws, asserting that a federal pardon does not protect against state charges. The dispute centers on how presidential pardons interact with congressional testimony and state criminal authority.