Fauci's lawyers set up legal defense fund as US probes multiply

Lawyers for Anthony Fauci have launched a legal defense fund for the former top U.S. infectious disease expert, saying that the need to respond to a growing number of state and federal investigations related to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic will require substantial resources.



In January 2025, then-President Joe Biden issued a preemptive pardon to Fauci, amid accusations from Republican lawmakers that he played a role in research that contributed to the pandemic and later sought to cover up its origins, claims that have not been independently substantiated.



Fauci, who led the U.S. response to COVID-19, has denied the allegations.



U.S. Republican Senator Rand Paul has asked the Department of Justice to prosecute Fauci after he refused to answer questions about the pandemic at a congressional hearing last month. Three state attorneys general have since launched their own probes against him.