Contempt Case Against Fauci Appears to Be Stalled

Republicans' drive to haul Anthony Fauci into court is running into resistance from an unexpected quarter: their own allies in the Trump administration. The Wall Street Journal reports that Sen. Rand Paul's bid to have Fauci prosecuted for contempt of Congress—after the former health adviser repeatedly invoked the Fifth during a July hearing—has stalled over doubts about whether Paul's legislative shortcut around a full Senate vote would hold up in court.

Instead of seeking the usual floor vote against Fauci, Paul asked Vice President JD Vance, in his role as Senate president, to certify the contempt resolution so it could go straight to the Justice Department. But the DOJ still doesn't have a formal referral, and, crucially, President Trump hasn't told prosecutors to act, according to the story. Some administration lawyers worry the move could be tossed as violating Senate rules, especially since past contempt cases like Steve Bannon's and Peter Navarro's followed traditional procedures. Read the full piece.