The Sound of Silence: Fauci Takes the Fifth and the Heat Over his Diary Disclosures
Category: Op/Ed
Via: vic-eldred • 3 months ago • 35 commentsBy: President Joe Biden (JONATHAN TURLEY)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Below is my column on Fox.com on yesterday's "testimony" from Dr. Anthony Fauci. Americans deserve answers to the questions raised by his diary and other remarks. The most likely course to gain such answers would be through an immunity grant. The impact of a pardon on invocations is a bit murky but, as I stated yesterday, the odds favor Fauci in a court finding that he can still invoke the privilege. In any challenge, a court would likely find that there remains a risk of self-incrimination. What is clear is that many in Washington would prefer Fauci to remain silent on the questions raised by his diary.
Here is the column:
"Stick with the science and never veer from that, even when the science turns out to be an inconvenient truth for somebody." Dr. Anthony Fauci delivered those words to Georgetown students in 2017 as the touchstone of medical ethics. Today, before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, that line was replaced by Fauci in repeating "On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution."
The optics could not have been worse, but what you saw depended largely on how you viewed the hearing. For critics, Fauci sounded like Crazy Joe Gallo without the sunglasses. For supporters, Fauci is still a hero who refused to fall into a trap laid out before him. Democratic senators such as Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) actually praised Fauci for refusing to answer questions before Congress.
There is no question that it is Fauci's right to refuse to invoke his privilege against self-incrimination and many advised him to do so. It could be taken for strategic reasons separate from any criminal culpability. After all, he was given a last-minute pardon by President Joe Biden, and any false statements he made before the Committee could be used to bring criminal charges against him.
However, Fauci is unlike many who have invoked the privilege. Unlike many past witnesses who have invoked the privilege, Fauci has testified for days in countless prior hearings. He also has appeared in countless interviews on these issues. He had reason to fear this hearing after his diary revealed startling contradictions with what he was stating publicly.
The question many will ask is why Fauci could not just "stick with the science" and resolve these contradictions. The fact is that he would have had difficulty in dealing with his own "inconvenient truths."
Fauci's opening statement expressed obvious anger over the release of his "unredacted diary."
The new evidence shows that Fauci connected the Wuhan lab to the emerging crisis before most people had ever heard of the lab. It also shows him repeatedly referencing the lab's gain-of-function work and discounted the "wet market" as the true origin of the virus as opposed to an "amplifier."
Some of the most embarrassing areas for Fauci concerned his entries acknowledging that he pushed to close schools, despite public denials that he ever recommended such closures. His entries take credit for convincing figures such as then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, the staff of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and others to close the schools.
In an Oct. 16, 2022, ABC interview, Fauci repeated that denial: "They always come back and say, 'Fauci was responsible for shutting schools down.' I had nothing to do [with it]!"
The media has also taken the Fifth on these subjects, declining to publish many of these contradictions. They have the same reason as Fauci: there are no spins that would reconcile their own prior coverage and gushing reviews of Fauci. The diary entries also show disturbing references to private meetings with media figures.
Fauci's diary refers to CNN anchor Jake Tapper 41 times. In some entries, Fauci suggested that the host was concerned about crafting an interview to better serve Fauci: "Jake wanted to make sure the interview did not cause me any problems." Fauci also related how he met socially with Tapper in July 2020: "Had dinner over Jake Tapper and Jen Tapper's home in DC. Terrific couple. Friendship building." (Notably, on October 14, 2020, CNN published a report repeating the condemnation of the dangers of "small household gatherings.").
The diary revealed an obsession with his publicity and access to celebrities. The diary is replete with his gushing accounts of himself, such as "It is not hyoperbole [sic] to say that today I am the most famous and talked about person in the country and one of the most recognizable peson [sic] in the world."
The fact is that diaries tend to be self-obsessed, and no one would want their unvarnished private thoughts made public. Rather, my gripe with these passages is something I have previously written in criticism of Fauci. During this period, dissenting scientists were barred from social media, removed from positions, and vilified for expressing views, despite now being vindicated on subjects ranging from the lab origin of the virus, the efficacy of masks, the six-foot rule, natural immunities, and school closures.
As these courageous scientists were being abused (by academic and media figures who still hold their positions), Fauci said not a word in their defense despite privately acknowledging that they could be right.
Yet, Fauci remained silent as his allies in the media savaged those who voiced the view that the virus was man-made and escaped from the lab.
In 2021, New York Times science and health reporter Apoorva Mandavilli was still calling on reporters not to mention the "racist" lab theory. (Federal agencies found the lab theory to be the most credible despite Fauci claiming publicly that a natural origin was the most likely explanation).
Fauci stayed silent while relishing his celebrity status. Indeed, his diary shows no concerns for these scientists as he breathlessly recounted his bobbleheads and cover shoots.
Once again, Fauci has every right to invoke his constitutional rights, but the public has every right to demand answers to these questions related to the deaths of 1,238,563 Americans. That may result in a grant of immunity to compel him to answer these questions.
If it is any solace for Fauci, he will clearly be able to maintain that he is "the most famous and talked about person in the country."
Jonathan Turley is a law professor and the New York Times best-selling author of "Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution."
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He will never receive the punishment he deserves, but history will mark Dr Fauci as the man who helped cause the Covid Pandemic and pushed for the closure of businesses and schools and then lied about all of it. In the end everything he did to build his power eventually destroyed him. America's final glimpse of Dr Fauci was of a little man hiding behind a pardon and the 5th Amendment.
For what, exactly, does he deserve punishment?
How? All by himself? And if he just “helped” somehow, then don’t other people deserve punishment, too?
So did a lot of people. So what?
maga seems to forget it was state governors that moved first in addressing covid while their savior was still calling it the flu ...
I'm watching a friend of mine have a fauci meltdown on facebook in real time. she mistakenly tied her business to her support for trump and it is now suffering horribly. maga seems to fail to realize that they can watch trump's sycophants attempt to punish all of their hero's enemies, but at the end of the day they're still stuck with a POS/POTUS that is approaching most hated president status, if he isn't there already.
Indeed, trump golfed almost every day of the pandemic. He even went golfing as his brother died of covid.
1) Committing perjury before congress regarding his part in funding gain-of-function research in China.
Spy agency quashed complaint against Fauci for lying to Congress about 'gain of function' research, new documents show
How?
Look up above
All by himself?
He had help from EcoHealth Alliance and let us not forget the leftwing media which was trying to blame Trump for all the covid deaths.
And if he just “helped” somehow, then don’t other people deserve punishment, too?
"The Justice Department has secured an indictment against David Morens, a former senior aid to ex-COVID czar Anthony Fauci, for deliberately concealing records about coronavirus."
BREAKING: Dr. Fauci’s Top Aide Charged for Concealing COVID Records | Headline USA
So did a lot of people. So what?
Dr Fauci was the one the President relied on. As Dr Fauci said, "I am the science." He made himself the key advisor on health over decades of consolidating power.
Fear not Tacos! He is 85 years old and was the darling of democrats, the media and the deep blue state. He gets the pardon and as we witnessed a day ago, he gets to lambaste all his critics before hiding behind the 5th Amendment.
Which they had five years to pursue, but did not. Maybe because other than Rand Paul not believing Fauci, there isn’t actual evidence that he committed perjury.
But these people aren’t going to prison or being dragged in front of congressional committees and ordered to confess their “crimes.”
So?
His qualifications and experience made him a key advisor. There’s nothing nefarious about it. And what power did he consolidate?
And they lambasted him. He’s not allowed to express an opinion? Only his critics are?
No. He controlled grants. His allies received them and anyone who crossed him didn't. That is how he did it.
So Fauci was a Trumper way before Trump?
Say it ain't so.../s
Wow. Such dramatic fantasy.
Tell us how trump's actions helped lessen the impact of covid? We'll wait.
Are we talking about Trump again? Didn't he set the record for taking the 5th?
he was the 1st POTUS to have ever taken the 5th ...
I'm not sure Dr. Anthony Fauci deserves punishment. But Fauci's example should give pause over blindly accepting the dictates of an autocratic bureaucracy. Fauci is a case study in how power corrupts. It's unclear if the press unwittingly fell under the persuasive influence of corruption - or - if the press enabled and fostered the corruption.
Dr. Fauci may plead the 5th to avoid personal embarrassment. That's no excuse to sweep the bad science and bad governing under the rug and forgetting about it. No doubt the experts would cite acting with caution to ensure public safety. That justification rings hollow with revelation it was all just about covering their asses and protecting their dictatorial power.
that's all you really needed to say.
Doctors killed George Washington by overusing bloodletting for what appeared to be tonsilitis, when gargling with salt water could have been effective.
Doctors used to prescribe smoking to asthma patients.
Safe anesthesia wasn't discovered until 1960, prior to that, fires and explosions were common as ether, acetylene, halothane etc were used as anesthetics..
Medicine syrups of 25% alcohol laced with cocaine or heroin were common throughout our history.
Coca cola, intended as a patented medicine of cocaine and caffeine became the number one soft drink in America and could only be gotten at a pharmacy.
It has been Cocaine free since 1929.
20 Disturbing Medical Treatments We're Glad Are In The Past - HistorySnob
Cocaine in Coca-Cola: The 1886 Tonic to Refreshment History
We still can't cure the common cold but lets execute the people in charge when things don't go our way....
Ridiculous.
He has sat before Congressional committees numerous times and tried to stick with the science. MAGA has never been interested. They just want a scapegoat that can be used to rally the political base.
Exactly. Why should he bother trying to explain the science to them again when they're not even listening or interested in the truth, they're just looking for anything to use as a "Gotcha!". They're desperate to find anything to use as ammunition against the Democrats in the fight coming up in November.
If anyone had any real evidence of legal wrongdoing Dr Fauci would be pleading the 5th in a court of law, not the court of public opinion.
he’s not been indicted because he sought and was granted a pardon, and accepting it was an admission of guilt.
It's been a few years now... How come one of Trump's MAGA lawyers didn't put him on the stand before he got a pardon?
Umm. random Lawyers just can't prosecute people for federal crimes ..
There are a few red state AG offices full of MAGA sharks that like to file frivolous lawsuits for political reasons. Again, if they had something they would have tried. All they have is a bucket of bullshit.
Lol. That's not how this works. Lying to congress is not a state crime in Idaho.
All they have is a bucket of bullshit.
That's all your peddling.
So... yeah. Back to my original post. They ain't got shit.
Now 3 state AGs are launching investigations? Hmmmm...
Fauci lies under oath. He knows he lied under oath so he seeks, and is granted a pardon from the Biden administration to protect him for that and any other crime he committed. For those who don’t know, and apparently there are a lot of progressives in this camp, pardons makes it legally impossible to proceed criminally.
Despite this, many progressives seem to think the fact that he hasn’t been indicted for actions he can’t legally be indicted for thanks to the pardon somehow means he’s innocent.
What the fuck does that mean. He either did or did not lie under oath. Republicans haven't been able to prove he lied under oath which is why they were desperately trying to get him to lie with another pointless moronic hearing.
What conservatives don't know that they think they know could fill a galaxy sized library. But what's really hilarious are the poorly educated dumb fucks pretending they "know" things rational educated patriotic Americans don't.
He obviously did. That's why he sought and was granted a pardon which carries with it an admission of guilt. How is that is difficult to understand?
epublicans haven't been able to prove he lied under oath
They've proven it. Any literate person who pays attention can see that. They can't indict him because of the pardon. Got it?
trying to get him to lie with another pointless moronic hearing.
Yes, we know how so many progressives love being lied to, and find exposing those lies "pointless." The response we've seen from numerous progressives over and over "Who cares if he's a criminal and destroyed confidence in public health officials, he helped us!" They are literally celebrating being anti-truth and knowledge.
Congrats on that!
hat conservatives don't know that they think they know could fill a galaxy sized library.
At least I know how a pardon works, which puts me ahead of many progressives.
Fauci said he did not seek a pardon.
Fauci says he will accept preemptive pardon from Biden
Biden says preemptive pardons are not an admission of anything.
If the feeling is that many of Bidens' pardons are defective, that means all of Trump's are defective.
The process is now secret and seems dependent on donations, not morality or compassion.
Inside the Pardon Playbook: An Analysis of President Trump’s Clemency Abuses | Campaign Legal Center
Opinion | The States Should Override Trump’s Indefensible Pardons - The New York Times
How Trump’s Pardons Violate the Government’s Own Standards | The Marshall Project
pardons won't save any of trump's family or his accomplices ...
Lol.. Biden says...
The US Supreme Court: "A pardon carries an imputation of guilt; acceptance a confession of it."
Where has Fauci officially accepted the pardon?
Did he sign something? Swear on a Bible? Thank Biden properly? Pay Biden a bribe?
SCOTUS also said the pardon is waivable. What is the process for that?
Seems to be quite a few loose threads.
They were talking about a limited pardon granted to a convicted person.
Burdick v. United States | 236 U.S. 79 (1915) | Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center
a convict is pardoned by a potus what next - Search
How did he seek it? What was the process?