Senator Rand Paul has told the National Institutes of Health that it should not attempt to destroy any documents relating to or in the possession of Anthony Fauci as he retires.
Paul sent a letter to the NIH stating that “all records, e-mails, electronic documents, and data created by or shared with Dr. Fauci” must be preserved for investigation.
As Fauci announced he is retiring conveniently just before the mid-term elections, Paul wrote “In light of this announcement, I formally request you ensure the preservation of all documents and communications within Dr. Fauci’s possession related to his tenure at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).”
Paul continued, “This information is critical to ensure that Congress has access to information necessary to conduct proper oversight regarding events that took place during Dr. Fauci’s tenure with the agency.”
Paul said that all information “including, but not limited to, NIAID-funded coronavirus research,” should be protected and “This preservation request also includes all records of official business conducted on non official accounts.”
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Rand Paul Demands NIH Preserve All Documents, Communications In Fauci’s Possession https://t.co/QUF4MxMpWG
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 23, 2022
As we highlighted yesterday, Republicans responded to Fauci’s retirement announcement by asserting that his stepping down will not deter them from investigating his role in gain of function research that potentially led to the global COVID pandemic.
Fauci’s resignation will not prevent a full-throated investigation into the origins of the pandemic. He will be asked to testify under oath regarding any discussions he participated in concerning the lab leak.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 22, 2022
Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) reiterated this stance, telling Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday that Fauci will likely be spending “a lot of time in front of a congressional committee” unless he were to “seek asylum in some foreign country whose Powerball jackpot is 287 chickens and a goat.”
Sen. John Kennedy says that if Republicans take back Congress, unless Fauci "decides to seek asylum in some foreign country whose Powerball jackpot is 287 chickens and a goat," he will "be spending a lot of time in front of a Congressional committee." pic.twitter.com/E3RbOAA9mk
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) August 23, 2022
Fauci himself claimed earlier this week that he never ‘flip flopped’ on anything and that his changes of opinion on the efficacy of masks and restriction policies were merely “evolution of the science.”
No F-ing way, Fauci. Can’t let him pull this bullshit. He lied about his certainty in the “the science” at every phase so he could please his lunatic fan base. His falsehoods were used to fire people- including veterans- from their jobs. He’s the disgusting villain of Covid. https://t.co/Ccp9rHJLRU
— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) August 23, 2022
Fauci: "With covid, things that we thought we knew at the beginning as the months went by turned out not to be the case… That was interpreted as flip flopping when it really was the evolution of the science." pic.twitter.com/mxG27yEV9g
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 23, 2022
**By Steve Watson
**Source