(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Embattled Dr. Anthony Fauci could face a growing list of repercussions after invoking the Fifth Amendment during a Senate hearing, including a proposed permanent ban from future federal service.
The proposed ban would come under legislation reintroduced by Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., that would bar government officials and employees from future federal service if they “refuse to answer questions before Congress or are convicted of perjury.”
Named the Stop the SWAMP Act, the bill would also authorize Congress to refer uncooperative witnesses to the DOJ for criminal prosecution if they withhold information during congressional investigations.
McCormick unveiled the bill after Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination over 100 times during a tense hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
The hearing centered on the release of Fauci’s pandemic-era government notes, which appear to contradict several of his public statements on COVID-19 policies.
The notes also shed light on Fauci’s apparent eagerness to appear on cable news programs and included multiple references to him as “America’s doctor.”
McCormick described the Stop the SWAMP Act as a way to hold individuals like Fauci accountable for stonewalling investigations.
“If you can hide from Congress, you shouldn’t be able to work for the federal government,” McCormick said in a statement. “Congress has a constitutional duty to conduct oversight, and federal employees have a duty to tell the truth.”
He added, “If someone lies under oath or refuses to cooperate with a lawful investigation, there should be consequences. Public service is a privilege, and no one is above the law.”
Separately, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, pledged to schedule a committee vote to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress.
Paul contended that Fauci cannot invoke the Fifth Amendment to avoid self-incrimination because former President Joe Biden granted him a preemptive pardon for potential federal offenses committed between Jan. 1, 2014, and Jan. 19, 2025.
Paul said that the legal implications of that theory will ultimately have to be addressed by the courts.
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