Infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci tweaked his language on whether he will come testify before Congress following his coming retirement – saying he won’t ‘play ball’ if hearings look designed to go after his character.
Fauci, 81, made the latest comments weeks after announcing his retirement, in a decision that prompted Republicans to say they still plan to bring him back for more hearing appearances even after he leaves government.
‘If I’m asked to testify, I’ll testify. I have nothing to hide,’ Fauci told Science in an interview.
‘I can explain everything I’ve done and I could defend everything I’ve done. But if it becomes clear that it’s not an in-good-faith oversight, but a character assassination, I might not play ball,’ he said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said he might not participate in oversight that is not done ‘in goof faith’
That language contained a stronger suggestion that he might not show up, and followed tough public statements by Republicans that followed his retirement announcement.
Late last month Fox News host Neil Cavuto asked Fauci if his retirement was to avoid GOP investigations should they take over House control.
‘Not at all. Not even a little bit,’ Fauci responded.
‘I mean, I have nothing to hide and I can defend every decision I have made, so I’m not afraid of that at all. That didn’t even come in as a minor consideration,’ he added.
When pressed, he also mentioned character assassination, saying he would be happy to take part in ‘legitimate’ oversight.
‘I believe that oversight is an important part of the government process, but some of the things that have gone on have been outright character assassination. That’s not oversight. So if they want to get into legitimate, dignified oversight, I’d be happy to do that,’ he said.
Almost home: ‘But if it becomes clear that it’s not an in-good-faith oversight, but a character assassination, I might not play ball,’ Fauci said. He threw out the first pitch before a baseball game between the Seattle Mariners and the New York Yankees, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, in Seattle
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has clashed with Fauci at hearings, and vowed to question him again on the Wuhan lab leak theory
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), a House Oversight Committee member, tweeted that Fauci ‘is conveniently resigning from his position in December before House Republicans have an opportunity to hold him accountable for destroying our country’
‘Fauci’s resignation will not prevent a full-throated investigation into the origins of the pandemic. He will be asked to testify under oath regarding any discussions he participated in concerning the lab leak,’ tweeted his nemesis Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), alluding to the Wuhan lab leak theory he has probed Fauci about in prior hearings.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), a House Oversight Committee member, tweeted that Fauci ‘is conveniently resigning from his position in December before House Republicans have an opportunity to hold him accountable for destroying our country over these past three years. This guy is a coward,’ he added.
‘Make no mistake, my colleagues and I will hold Dr. Fauci accountable whether or not he remains in public office,’ he added.
Fauci also responded to the longtime Science correspondent who asked if it was threats to himself or his family or attacks from Congress that prompted his retirement.
‘It was none of the above … As the Trump administration was ending, I was vaguely considering wanting to have at least a few years when I’m still energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate about doing something outside of the realm of the government. Then the president calls me up right after being elected and says, One of the first things I’m going to do, Tony, is ask you to be my chief medical adviser. I said yes, fully thinking that at the end of that first year of the Biden administration, we’d be done with COVID, it really would be in the rearview mirror,’ he said.
He said he had a long talk with his wife about what to do. ‘So I said to myself, you know, I’m going to be 82 in December, what do I have further to offer?’
‘Despite the knives and the slings and the arrows, I’ve achieved a degree of being kind of a hero to some people. So let me use that to inspire people. So I said, when can I do that? I decided over the spring and summer that the best time to do it is when you’re getting somewhat of a steady state with this disease, so I could transition out of here,’ he said.
Fauci gave no indication he was cashing in – but isn’t ruling out big jobs.
‘If I was motivated by money, I would have taken the 100 jobs I’ve been offered for 20 times my salary,’ he said.
As for his plans: ‘I don’t know what that’s going to be. It may be hooking up with a university that’s willing to make me a senior professor on their faculty. It may be going with a foundation. I can tell you one thing I’m not going to do. I’m not going to sit in my house with a Gmail address.’
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