Fauci sits for deposition hearing on COVID-19

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, sat for a 7-hour deposition as part of a lawsuit over alleged censoring of speech about COVID-19. The Republican attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana have filed a lawsuit alleging the Biden Administration and social media companies worked together to censor speech about the origin of COVID-19 and the effectiveness of masks. Last month, a federal judge ruled that Fauci’s public comments made him a key figure and said he must sit for a deposition. The attorneys general also allege that Fauci funded research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology through intermediaries. 

What does Fauci say about all this? Fauci’s deposition is sealed by court order, but Fauci gave his last White House briefing on COVID-19 on Tuesday. He announced in August that he plans to retire from federal service in December to focus on writing and helping younger generations. In his final briefing, he and the Biden Administration encouraged Americans to get their COVID-19 vaccinations before the holiday season. At the briefing, reporters shouted detailed questions about COVID-19’s origins, but White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said they were out of order and left the questions unanswered.

Dig deeper: Read John Dawson’s report in Beginnings on how the response to COVID-19 may have eradicated some influenza strains.