Sen. Rand Paul speaks at the start of a hearing with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He accused Fauci of saying “one thing in public, and another in private” — a reference to the diary. Dr. Anthony Fauci, former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prepares for the start of a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing. The top Democrat on the panel, Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, accused Paul of waging a politically-motivated inquiry to “basically legitimize a predetermined conclusion that was reached years ago.” In 2021, when the senator accused Fauci of lying while testifying before the Senate, Fauci replied, “If anybody is lying here, senator, it is you.”