Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times during a Senate hearing on the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to reports. Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, repeatedly declined to answer questions from lawmakers, despite holding a full pardon from President Joe Biden that would shield him from federal prosecution. During the hearing, Fauci accused Senator Rand Paul of harboring an 'unhinged obsession' with him. The exchange grew contentious, and Fauci's attorney was removed from the room after attempting to speak without being recognized by the committee chair. The hearing, convened by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, focused on the origins of the coronavirus and the U.S. response. Fauci's refusal to answer questions drew sharp criticism from Republican senators, who argued that the pardon eliminated any legal basis for pleading the Fifth. Democrats largely defended Fauci, noting the pardon's limited scope and the ongoing nature of the investigation. The event marks the latest chapter in a long-running dispute between Fauci and Senator Paul over pandemic policies and the lab-leak theory.