Rand Paul vows to keep pressure on Fauci as statute of limitations on criminal referral expires Monday

"The DOJ has 5 days to indict Fauci before the statute of limitations runs out. The clock is ticking. Justice cannot wait."

The Trump Justice Department under former Attorney General Pam Bondi or acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has made no public statements about bringing charges.

"Whether he is indicted or not now is not up to Congress. It is up to the DoJ, and no one else."

"Anyone receiving 'Pardons,' 'Commutations,' or any other Legal Document so signed, please be advised that said Document has been fully and completely terminated, and is of no Legal effect," Trump wrote in December on Truth Social.

"The truth is coming."

Paul's referral also noted Fauci later said he had "never lied before the Congress" and did "not retract that statement" after Paul warned him about the criminal implications of lying to Congress.

Paul argued that the email contradicted Fauci's sworn testimony.

"This research, conducted at the WIV and funded under NIAID Award R01AI110964, fits the definition of gain-of-function research," the referral stated.

The criminal referral further cites a 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found the WIV and Wuhan University received NIH funding. According to Paul's referral, the GAO said NIH funded a project that included "genetic experiments to combine naturally occurring bat coronaviruses with SARS and MERS viruses, resulting in hybridized coronavirus strains."

Paul's July referral also challenged the legal effect of a preemptive pardon Fauci received from Biden's autopen.

"This raises serious constitutional and legal concerns about the legitimacy of Dr. Fauci's pardon."

Fauci has repeatedly denied lying to Congress, including forcefully to Paul himself in multiple congressional hearings.

"Dr. Fauci, knowing that it is a crime to lie to Congress, do you wish to retract your statement of May 11 [2021], where you claimed at the NIH never funded gain-of-function research and move on?" Paul asked in a July 2021 Senate hearing.

"Sen. Paul, I have never lied before the Congress, and I do not retract that statement," Fauci shot back.

"Let me finish!" Fauci added, when Paul tried to interject. "Sen. Paul, you do not know what you're talking about, quite frankly. And I want to say that officially, you do not know what you're talking about."

The nature of the alleged lie revolves around the definition and denials of gain-of-function research surrounding COVID-19.

"You're dancing around this because you're trying to obscure responsibility for four million people dying around them from a pandemic," Paul said in the famed exchange, adding, "you are obviously obfuscating the truth."

Fauci replied, "I'm not obfuscating the truth - you are."

"You are implying that what we did was responsible for the deaths of individuals," he added. "I totally resent that."

Paul shot back, "It could have been."

"If there is any lying here, senator, it is you," Fauci said, shaking his finger at Paul.

Sitting members of Congress are provided immunity under the speech and debate clause of the Constitution, while most of those investigated by Congress and subject to testifying under oath, which Fauci did.