Rand Paul seeks civil contempt charges after Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment more than 70 times

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director, left Wednesday's congressional grilling without answering lawmakers' questions, but Republicans are escalating their fight to compel his testimony.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., announced Wednesday that he will seek civil contempt charges against Fauci after he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 70 times during the blockbuster hearing.

"We're going to have a vote next week on contempt. I think there's another legal question that the courts may have to decide upon," Paul said. "And that is whether or not a presidential pardon offers you complete immunity."

The planned committee vote is likely to be along party lines as several Democrats on the panel came to Fauci’s defense on Wednesday.

Paul, the top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, subpoenaed Fauci to testify about the origins of COVID-19 after he declined to appear voluntarily.

Fauci repeatedly pleaded the Fifth, arguing Paul had an "obsession" with seeking his arrest and released more than 1,000 pages of his "personal diary" over the weekend in an effort to embarrass and intimidate him, according to his opening statement.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.