Tuberville: Fauci Should Face Trial in Alabama
Tuberville says Fauci is guilty and wants Alabama to explore prosecuting the former COVID adviser after his Fifth Amendment testimony
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) says he believes former White House COVID-19 adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci should face criminal prosecution and wants Alabama to explore whether the State can bring a case against him.
Tuberville made the remarks Wednesday during an appearance on Newsmax, just hours after Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The hearing, led by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), examined Fauci's role in the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing questions about the virus's origins.
Asked whether Fauci should go to prison, Tuberville left little doubt about his view.
"Yeah, absolutely. He's guilty. He knows he's guilty. He got pardoned by President Biden. Of course, President Trump came out today and said, 'I'm gonna leave that pardon alone.' I don't know whether that's good or bad. I don't know what happened there."
Tuberville then suggested Alabama could pursue legal action of its own if federal options are limited.
”Hopefully, in the next six months I'll be the Governor of Alabama, and I promise you one thing: We will find out if there's a possibility that we can bring him to Alabama to put him in front of a court and a jury to see if we can put this guy in prison."
The Senator went further, accusing Fauci of causing widespread loss of life during the pandemic.
"He killed millions of people, folks."
Tuberville also claimed Fauci's actions contributed to thousands of deaths in Alabama.
"Twenty or 30,000 people in Alabama alone, and I hope every damn one of them sues this Dr. Fauci and puts him in court. If we can't put him in prison, let's put him in court every day for the rest of his life."
The comments came after Fauci declined to answer a series of questions during Wednesday's hearing, repeatedly invoking the Fifth Amendment. Earlier in the day, Sen. Rand Paul said the hearing was intended to examine what he called years of misleading Statements about the pandemic and federal funding of virus research. Paul stated that "the greatest casualty of this pandemic may well be the public's trust."
Fauci received a preemptive presidential pardon from former President Joe Biden before leaving office. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he intends to honor that pardon, despite previously questioning whether it would remain in effect. Sen. Paul has argued that the pardon may not shield Fauci from every potential legal avenue, particularly if State-level claims are pursued.
Whether Alabama could successfully prosecute Fauci remains an open legal question. Tuberville did not identify a specific State law that he believes Fauci violated, but said his administration would examine the issue if he is elected Governor.
Sen. Tuberville’s remarks to Newsmax may be seen on YouTube and below:
