Anthony Fauci, the former top U.S. infectious disease official, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a contentious Senate hearing Wednesday, refusing to answer questions about U.S. funding for coronavirus research in China and allegations he misled Congress about the origins of the pandemic. The hearing, which reopened a politically divisive debate over whether Covid-19 emerged naturally or from a laboratory incident in Wuhan, saw Fauci’s attorney ejected after a chaotic exchange with Senator Rand Paul. Paul, who had pressed Fauci on the funding and his role in the pandemic response, declared the lawyer was not recognized after he interrupted proceedings. Fauci, who previously testified about the pandemic under oath, declined to answer questions on the advice of counsel, citing the ongoing criminal investigation. The hearing marks a dramatic escalation in the long-running dispute between Republican lawmakers and Fauci over the government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak and its origins. The committee has not announced a timeline for further testimony, but the confrontation underscores the deep partisan divisions that continue to surround the pandemic’s early days.