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During a House Select Subcommittee hearing in June 2024, Fauci was directly asked whether he had ever deleted correspondence related “to the Wuhan lab or the origins of the virus” that might otherwise have been available under the Freedom of Information Act. Fauci denied ever removing such records.
However, the newly surfaced emails tell a different story. Sen. Paul pointed to a message from February 2, 2020, in which Fauci directed then-NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins: “Please delete this e-mail after you read it.” Another email from July 20, 2020, shows Fauci instructing an NIH employee, “I do not want to engage any more with this nonsense. And so, please delete this e-mail after you read it,” according to Paul.
The senator is now demanding that Fauci return within two weeks to provide further testimony under oath. Members of the Homeland Security Committee have already outlined potential dates in October, November, and December for Fauci to appear.
Paul, a persistent critic of pandemic lockdowns and mandates, has spent years investigating the federal government’s COVID-19 response. He has been particularly focused on the funding and research that occurred at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where authorities now believe the virus may have originated.
In July, Paul told the Daily Mail he was preparing to subpoena Fauci as part of a broader probe into U.S. financing of the Wuhan lab. The senator has consistently criticized government spending on gain-of-function research, which involved experimenting with dangerous variations of the coronavirus.
“After we’ve gotten a fuller understanding [of] how the decision was made, we are going to ask him to come in, and, if need be, subpoena him to come in to discuss why he made the decision to fund the research in Wuhan,” Paul explained.
Despite these efforts, it remains uncertain whether Fauci will return to testify. Former President Joe Biden granted him a preemptive pardon just days before leaving office, potentially shielding Fauci from any legal consequences tied to his pandemic decisions.
Nevertheless, Paul remains undeterred. “We’re looking at their communications and ultimately the decisions of this committee, we believe, had to be certified by Anthony Fauci himself,” he said, signaling that the senator intends to keep pushing for accountability.
As the political and public scrutiny around Fauci’s role intensifies, the newly revealed emails are fueling questions about transparency, government decision-making, and the true origins of COVID-19—a debate that shows no signs of fading.
