Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 106 times during Wednesday's Senate hearing on his handling of the COVID pandemic, reports NBC News—and when one of his lawyers tried to speak, Sen. Rand Paul had the lawyer removed from the room. The Independent reports David Schertler tried to defend his client's use of the Fifth, but Paul cut him off, said he was being "disruptive" and faulted him for sitting at the table with Fauci when he had been directed not to do so. Top Homeland Security Committee Democrat Sen. Gary Peters said he wanted to hear from Schertler, but Paul said, "He is not recognized by the committee or the chair. ... You are not invited here for testimony, sir. You are being disruptive." Paul ordered Schertler be escorted out. Both men later commented on the incident:
- Paul: "You don't get to do that. That's one thing you give up when you take the Fifth Amendment. You don't get to put your lawyer forward to justify. You can do it in the press. ... He was out of order and it was appropriate to have him ejected."
- Schertler: It was "outrageous for Senator Paul to exclude his counsel for making a legitimate legal point. It proves the baseless and vindictive nature of this proceeding and Rand Paul's personal vendetta against Dr. Fauci."
The Hill reports on one other charged moment during the three-hour hearing: Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio at one point directed an F-bomb at Fauci, explaining he chose to run for office after hearing the story of a woman who was arrested in 2020 for not wearing a mask at an Ohio middle school football game. "Here I am sitting in front of you six years later, saying, who the f--- do you think you were for doing that? It is a total disgrace what you did to this country."
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
