A major development has emerged in Congress’ investigation into the federal government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, just days after one of its most closely watched witnesses repeatedly declined to answer lawmakers’ questions.
The latest move could provide investigators with a new source of information as they continue examining decisions made during the pandemic.
The development comes as Senate Republicans intensify their investigation into former federal health officials and prepare for another significant vote related to the inquiry.
It also follows the release of additional records that lawmakers say could help answer lingering questions about the government’s pandemic response.
Senate investigators have obtained a copy of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s government-issued iPhone from his time at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a report first published by The Wall Street Journal.
The phone was transferred from the Department of Health and Human Services to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which is chaired by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.
It remains unclear what data investigators currently have access to or what information, if any, may ultimately be recovered from the device.
Johnson confirmed the transfer in a post on X, writing, “The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has obtained a copy of Dr. Fauci’s phone from HHS. Hopefully, this device will address many of the questions he refused to answer at last week’s hearing.”
The reported transfer comes just days after Fauci appeared before the Senate under subpoena and invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times during questioning.
The Senate is expected to vote Thursday on a resolution that would hold the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in contempt of Congress.
The phone is reportedly part of the committee’s broader investigation into the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including questions surrounding research connected to the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
The development also follows the recent release of more than 1,000 pages from Fauci’s personal pandemic-era diary, which the Department of Health and Human Services provided to congressional investigators before last week’s hearing.
During the hearing, Republican lawmakers questioned Fauci about topics including federal funding for gain-of-function research, the origins of COVID-19 and decisions made by public health officials during the pandemic.
Fauci declined to answer many of those questions by invoking the Fifth Amendment.
Democratic lawmakers defended Fauci’s decision, arguing that he was appearing before a politically charged investigation and had the constitutional right to decline to answer questions that could potentially be used against him.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who subpoenaed Fauci to testify, has argued that the former White House medical adviser should face legal consequences and has questioned whether former President Joe Biden’s pardon of Fauci would shield him from every potential legal claim.
Paul has suggested that questions surrounding the scope of the pardon could ultimately be resolved through the courts, The Journal reported.
On Wednesday, Paul posted a photograph of Fauci sitting alone at the witness table during last week’s hearing and wrote a brief message on X: “Accountability is coming.”
Whether the government-issued phone contains information relevant to the Senate’s investigation remains unknown, but its transfer marks another significant step in an inquiry that continues to examine the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the origins of the virus and decisions made by senior public health officials during one of the most consequential public health crises in modern history.
