The Republican chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations announced subpoenas for documents on vaccine safety, including emails from Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin released a statement about the subpoenas on Wednesday as the Senate Finance Committee questioned Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his nomination to the Department of Health and Human Services. Johnson became the chairman of the subcommittee after Republicans took control of the Senate in the 2024 elections.
“Yesterday, I subpoenaed HHS for documents on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic — including a subset of Dr. Fauci’s emails — and the development and safety of the COVID-19 vaccines. Many of these records should have been turned over to me years ago, but the Biden administration opted to keep Congress and the public in the dark,” Johnson wrote
“It is well past time to bring accountability and transparency back to our U.S. health agencies,” he added on social media. “I look forward to HHS’s full compliance with the subpoena.”
Johnson said he had previously sent about 70 oversight letters but that they were either ignored or insufficiently addressed by the Biden administration. The subpoena demanded a response from officials by Feb. 18.
Former President Joe Biden issued a last-minute pre-emptive pardon for Fauci in the waning days of his presidency to protect him from any legal action brought by the Trump administration.
“Baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families. Even when individuals have done nothing wrong — and in fact have done the right thing — and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances,” read the statement attributed to Biden.
Fauci retired in 2023 as the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases after decades in the office.
Johnson said that he had warned HHS officials that he would subpoena their documents after the election.
“Just days after being named chairman of the Subcommittee, I have kept my word,” he added.
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