Through the course of the hearing, Dr Fauci pleaded the Fifth Amendment — which protects individuals from incriminating themselves — upwards of a 100 times. On August 6, the Senate committee voted to officially hold Dr Fauci in contempt of Congress. What was the hearing about and why has Dr Fauci been charged despite having invoked an ages-old constitutional provision? The backdropOn July 29, Dr Fauci appeared under subpoena before the HSGAC. During the hearing, Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than a hundred times.