Sen. Rand Paul is back at it, reigniting his battle to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci accountable with a fresh criminal referral to the Trump Department of Justice. The Kentucky Republican isn’t letting up on the former Biden adviser, and this time, there’s a new twist tied to a broader White House controversy.
According to Fox News, Paul announced his intentions on Monday via X, stating he will reissue the referral against Fauci. This move comes amid swirling accusations around the Biden administration’s use of an autopen for pardons and documents, including a preemptive pardon for Fauci himself.
The timing couldn’t be sharper, as this referral adds fuel to ongoing Republican scrutiny of Biden’s final months in office, where over 4,000 clemency documents were signed, allegedly without his direct involvement. Reports suggest Biden’s Chief of Staff, Jeff Zients, approved the autopen use for pardons, including one for Fauci, raising serious questions about who was truly steering the ship. It’s a glaring spotlight on what looks like a profound abdication of presidential duty.
This isn’t Paul’s first clash with Fauci, having previously issued referrals in 2021 and 2023 over claims of perjury tied to funding gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Paul’s persistence signals a deep distrust in Fauci’s testimony before Congress, insisting that lying under oath cannot be brushed aside.
“Perjury is a crime,” Paul declared, doubling down with, “And Fauci must be held accountable.” While that sounds righteous, accountability must cut through the fog of political theater to actual evidence, or it risks becoming just another headline in an endless feud.
The senator’s focus on Fauci has been a rallying cry for those skeptical of government overreach during the COVID-19 era. Yet, without ironclad proof, these repeated referrals might strike some as more vendetta than justice, especially when public trust in institutions is already frayed.
Adding to the fire, the autopen controversy has Republicans, including President Donald Trump, alleging Biden’s declining capacity left aides running the White House. Trump’s own call for an investigation by Attorney General Pam Bondi shows how deeply this issue resonates with those wary of unchecked bureaucratic power.
Trump didn’t mince words, telling reporters on Monday that Biden’s autopen use could be “one of the biggest scandals that we've had in 50 to 100 years.” Hyperbole aside, if a president isn’t signing his own pardons, it erodes the very foundation of executive authority, handing unelected staff a dangerous level of control.
The New York Times reported emails revealing Zients’ approval for autopen use on pardons for Fauci and Gen. Mark Milley, both vocal Trump critics. This detail stokes suspicion of political favoritism, painting a picture of a White House prioritizing allies over principle at the eleventh hour.
Senate and House have launched hearings to probe who was “really running” the Biden White House during those final months. The push isn’t just about Biden’s cognitive state but whether constitutional checks were bypassed by staff wielding unchecked power.
Trump’s assertion, “I guarantee you he knew nothing about what he was signing, I guarantee you,” carries weight for those who’ve long questioned Biden’s sharpness. If true, it suggests a presidency in name only, a troubling precedent for democratic accountability that demands answers.
These investigations aim to unearth a paper trail of autopen approvals, seeking clarity on a process meant to embody presidential intent. Without transparency, public faith in the executive branch takes another hit, especially when pardons, a sacred power, appear to be rubber-stamped by subordinates.
Paul’s renewed referral against Fauci, paired with the autopen uproar, underscores a broader fight over trust and responsibility in government. If leaders or their proxies skirt scrutiny, it’s the public who pays the price with eroded confidence in the system.
This isn’t about personal grudges or partisan gamesmanship, though it can look that way. At its core, it’s a plea for integrity, for ensuring those in power answer for their actions, whether it’s Fauci’s testimony or Biden’s signature, or lack thereof.
As Senate hearings unfold and Trump’s DOJ weighs Paul’s referral, the stakes are high for setting a tone of accountability. Americans deserve a government that respects its own rules, not one that hides behind mechanical signatures or evasive answers, lest we slide further into a bureaucracy unmoored from the people it serves.
