Rand Paul orders attorney Fauci removed from Senate hearing, cites rules

A Senate hearing turned into a heated confrontation Wednesday (July 29) after Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul ordered Capitol Police to escort attorney Dr. Anthony Fauci, David Schertler, from the boardroom.

The dramatic moment came during proceedings in which Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Paul says the lawyer interrupted

The confrontation began when Schertler attempted to speak during the hearing despite not being recognized by the committee chairman.

Paul accused the attorney of not following instructions, saying Schertler was told not to sit at the witness table next to Fauci and was not authorized to address the committee.

“You will respect this hearing. You were told not to sit at the table. You insist on sitting at the table and we told you you will not be recognized. You are not invited to testify, sir. You are being a distraction,” Paul said.

He added that Schertler had been instructed to sit in a row behind the witness table and accused him of disrupting the proceedings.

“There’s an argument behind you sir. You were told to sit down there… and now you’re disrupting the proceedings,” Paul said before ordering security to intervene.

“You are not recognized sir. Security please remove him from the room.”

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Pavel defends the decision to dismiss the lawyer

After the hearing, Paul defended his decision, arguing that Schertler had no standing to address the committee after Fauci decided to invoke the Fifth Amendment.

“In any courtroom in America, you can’t have your witness defend the Fifth Amendment, then your lawyer will testify,” Paul said.

“The defense attorney complains and testifies and says, ‘He didn’t do it. The prosecution is unfair.’ You can’t do that. That’s one thing you give up when you accept the Fifth Amendment.”

Paul added that while Schertler could make public statements outside of the hearing, he was not allowed to speak during committee meetings without permission.

Fauci’s attorney calls removal ‘outrageous’

Minutes after being escorted out, Schertler criticized the decision, calling his removal “outrageous” and accusing Paul of conducting a politically motivated hearing.

“It’s outrageous and demonstrates the completely biased and baseless nature of this proceeding,” Schertler was quoted as saying by The New York Post.

In a separate statement, he described Paul’s allegations against Fauci as “false and disgraceful” and said the legal team would explore possible action against the senator.

“We will explore all options to hold Senator Paul accountable,” Schertler said.

The hearing underscores Fauci’s and Pavel’s long-running clashes

The confrontation marks the latest chapter in the long-running feud between Rand Paul and Anthony Fauci, whose exchanges over the US government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic have repeatedly drawn national attention.

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