Former US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci on Wednesday invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to answer questions before a Republican-led Senate committee investigating his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Under the advice of my attorneys, I will invoke my right under the 5th Amendment of the Constitution to refrain from answering your questions,” Fauci told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. pic.twitter.com/D8ibme62bB — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 29, 2026What does invoking the Fifth Amendment mean? The Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution protects individuals from being compelled to testify against themselves in criminal cases. While Paul argues the work amounted to gain-of-function research, Fauci maintains it did not fall under the federal definition of experiments considered especially risky.