Fauci's HHS iPhone turned over to Senate investigators as contempt vote looms

Fox News Digital has confirmed that a key investigative panel in the Senate has obtained Dr. Anthony Fauci’s pandemic-era cellphone.

The cellphone was transferred from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to the Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations chaired by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.

A spokesperson for the senator told Fox News Digital the subcommittee "obtained a copy of Dr. Fauci’s iPhone that was used during his time at HHS."

Whether the panel has access to the phone remains unclear.

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The committee’s procurement of the phone, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, comes as the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee readies to decide whether to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress. It also follows the HHS' move to dump over 1,000 pages of Fauci's personal diary to the panel just days before the blockbuster hearing.

The hearing, slated for Thursday morning, comes after the panel’s chair, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., subpoenaed Fauci to testify on his alleged role in funding "risky" gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, where the COVID-19 virus originated.

A source close to Paul's office told Fox News Digital that the lawmaker is also in possession of the phone.

Last week’s testimony was meant to serve as the climatic duel between Fauci and Paul, who has demanded Fauci be thrown into prison for his role in the nation’s pandemic policy and alleged lies to Congress.

But it didn’t turn out that way.

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Fauci, on advice from his lawyers, opted to plead the Fifth Amendment out of concern about self-incrimination before a panel that he charged was designed to ensnare him.

"Although it pains me to do so because of the respect I have for the legislative branch of government and my decades-long record of cooperating with Congress under the advice of my attorneys, I will invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution to refrain from answering your questions," Fauci said.

What ensued was Republicans on the panel peppering Fauci with questions probing his involvement in an alleged lab leak that led to the virus’ rapid spread to what day of the week it was. Democrats charged that his decision to activate his constitutional rights was the right call given Paul and his colleagues' determination to catch him in a lie.

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And it culminated in Paul vowing that Fauci would face consequences for declining to comment and questioning whether his pardon from former President Joe Biden could protect him.

"I think there's another legal question that the courts may have to decide upon, and that is whether or not a presidential pardon offers you complete immunity," Paul said at the time.

Fox News Digital did not immediately receive comment from HHS on Fauci’s pandemic-era iPhone.