Comer warns Fauci pardon does not cover potential perjury in Senate hearing
House Oversight Chairman James Comer stated that former President Biden’s pardon of Dr. Anthony Fauci does not protect him from liability for lying under oath during his upcoming Senate testimony. Fauci is scheduled to testify before a GOP-led panel on Wednesday, following the public release of hundreds of pages of his pandemic-era diary entries. Comer argued that Fauci was not truthful about the origins of COVID-19 and advised school closures, actions he claims harmed the public. While the pardon covers offenses related to Fauci’s service as NIAID director and White House advisor from 2014 to 2026, legal experts note debate exists over whether it shields him from perjury charges stemming from new testimony. Other House Republicans, including Reps. Greg Murphy and John Joyce, joined the call for accountability, citing Fauci’s diary entries as evidence of prioritizing personal fame over scientific integrity. Fauci has previously denied wrongdoing, attributing the scrutiny to political attacks from the right.