Attorney General James Uthmeier is seeking records involving Anthony Fauci’s pandemic directives, private opportunities, awards and communications with Florida entities as part of a state investigation into possible fraud, deceptive trade practices and self-dealing.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Wednesday that his office has issued an investigative subpoena to Anthony Fauci as part of a state inquiry into whether the former federal health official personally benefited from COVID-19 policies that affected Florida residents and businesses.
The subpoena seeks a wide range of records involving Fauci’s pandemic-era guidance, private professional opportunities, awards and communications concerning vaccines, masking, social distancing, school closures and vaccination sites.
Uthmeier said the investigation is examining whether Fauci pursued financial benefits outside his government responsibilities while promoting federal policies that imposed significant consequences on businesses, families and communities.
“We issued a formal subpoena to Dr. Fauci under Florida state law, seeking a breadth of documents ranging to what he knew when he knew it, his doubts about the safety and efficacy of vaccines that he’s out there promoting, and we’re really focused in on his self-dealing,” Uthmeier said during an appearance on Fox News.
“Evidence has come to light that he was trying to personally profit off of this. This is outside of his government duties, his official role: He’s trying to pursue book deals, awards, get connected with high rollers that might help him come into millions and millions of dollars. This is wrong, and it could go towards a deceptive trade practice, fraud, public nuisance, you name it. I think there’s many aspects of Florida law that now are implicated.”
The investigation follows Fauci’s testimony last week before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where he invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times.
The hearing also included discussion of the broad federal pardon former President Joe Biden granted Fauci. The pardon covers federal offenses, but does not prevent state authorities from examining conduct that may violate state law.
Uthmeier and Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., had previously pledged to pursue a state-level inquiry following Fauci’s refusal to answer questions during the Senate proceeding.
The Florida attorney general said much of the information prompting the subpoena came from Fauci’s diary, which consisted of several hundred pages of entries stored on a federal server and released last week by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
Uthmeier said the writings raised questions about whether Fauci privately pursued awards, publishing opportunities and relationships with influential individuals while serving as one of the federal government’s most prominent voices during the pandemic.
“We know one award in particular, he made $900,000 on that,” Uthmeier said, apparently referring to the approximately $900,000 Fauci received through the Dan David Prize awarded by Tel Aviv University.
Uthmeier argued that legal concerns arise when a federal official promotes mandates or guidance while privately questioning aspects of those policies and simultaneously seeking financial gain connected to his public role.
“It starts as a civil inquiry,” Uthmeier said. “But we’re going to tie in all aspects of Florida common law, things ranging from deceptive trade, fraud, public nuisance, nothing is off the table.”
The subpoena requests records involving any awards Fauci applied for, considered or received from organizations connected to the pandemic, including entities located in Florida.
Investigators are also seeking information about book deals, professional offers and other private opportunities presented to or considered by Fauci.
The document further requests communications and interactions involving Florida businesses, news organizations and communities concerning COVID-19 vaccination locations, mask requirements, social-distancing policies and school shutdowns.
Uthmeier said the inquiry is intended to determine what Fauci knew about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, when he obtained that information and whether his public statements differed from his private assessments.
Fauci served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during the pandemic and became one of the principal federal officials responsible for explaining and defending the government’s response.
He appeared before the Senate committee July 29 but declined to answer lawmakers’ questions, citing his constitutional right against self-incrimination.
Attorneys general in West Virginia and Louisiana voiced support for Florida’s investigation after the subpoena was announced.
West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey said Fauci’s decision not to answer Paul’s questions warranted further examination and that Americans deserved to know whether government officials had misled them during the pandemic.
“Both my Office and I support Attorney General Uthmeier’s efforts to uncover the truth,” McCuskey said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said the public continues to lack answers about the origins of COVID-19 and the government policies imposed in response.
The public “deserves answers to about a million questions related to the pandemic, its origins, and the government’s actions in response,” Murrill said.
She accused Fauci of making false statements and said the full extent of those statements remains unknown.
“But he lied about something as basic as keeping a diary. The truth will come out,” Murrill said.
Florida’s investigation begins as a civil inquiry, but Uthmeier said his office has not ruled out pursuing additional action if the requested records reveal possible violations of state law.
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