Several US outlets report that a Senate committee has obtained a copy of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s phone as it prepares to vote on whether to hold him in contempt of Congress. The development comes ahead of a scheduled vote, with coverage describing that Republicans sought additional information after Fauci declined to answer certain questions during a prior hearing. According to The Guardian and The New York Times, the committee has a backup copy of Fauci’s iPhone, which he used while serving as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, including during his role in the US government’s COVID-19 response in 2020. The reporting also says Fauci invoked his right against self-incrimination during the hearing.
The New York Post frames the transfer of the device in terms of the questions Fauci did not answer at the previous hearing, referencing remarks attributed to Sen. Ron Johnson. Jerusalem Post similarly describes the records as potentially relevant to the federal COVID-19 response as the contempt vote approaches. Across outlets, the central points are the committee’s possession of the device copy and the pending decision on contempt for noncompliance during the hearing.
