Seventeen state attorneys general are moving forward with an investigation into Dr. Anthony Fauci’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis, despite a federal pardon from former President Joe Biden. The coalition, led by Attorney General Alan Wilson, is focusing on potential violations of state laws.
A letter sent to congressional leadership requested access to federal investigative findings that could support state-level legal proceedings. The attorneys general emphasized that Biden’s pardon does not protect Fauci from state investigations.
The investigation is linked to a report from the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, which was released in December 2024. The report detailed Fauci’s role in downplaying the lab leak theory and alleged that he misled Congress about U.S. funding of gain-of-function research in China.
Fauci previously denied that U.S. taxpayer dollars were used for such research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. However, the congressional report indicated that grants from the National Institutes of Health were funneled to the Wuhan lab through EcoHealth Alliance.
Before leaving office, Biden issued a broad pardon covering any offenses Fauci may have committed while serving as a government health official. “The United States is safer and healthier because of him,” Biden said in defense of his decision.
Despite this, the attorneys general argue that state governments have their own authority to investigate and prosecute violations of state laws. The coalition is asking Congress to provide any relevant materials that could assist in their probe.
The state-led effort suggests that legal battles over Fauci’s role in the pandemic response are far from over.
