At a highly anticipated Senate hearing, Anthony Fauci on Wednesday invoked his Fifth Amendment right to refuse to answer questions about the Covid-19 pandemic and its origins, saying he was doing so on the advice of his attorneys. In response to question after question, Fauci repeated word for word that on the advice of counsel, he was invoking his Fifth Amendment rights. After the hearing, Paul suggested Fifth Amendment protections may not apply to someone who has been pardoned, though he admitted the theory has “probably never been tested legally.” He said the pandemic response was only being relitigated to support “a predetermined conclusion that was reached years ago.” With Fauci refusing to answer questions, the hearing quickly developed a predictable pattern.