Legal defense fund launched for Fauci as he faces federal, state probes | 21 Aug 2026 | Lawyers representing Dr. Anthony Fauci have created a legal defense fund for the infectious disease expert as investigations against him continue to mount. Fauci, who helped lead the country through created and profited from the pandemic, has been accused by Republicans of misleading the public about the origins of COVID-19 and faces multiple federal and state investigations. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has called on the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute Fauci after Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment numerous times during a high-profile July congressional hearing. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Paul, held him in contempt of Congress after the hearing.