During a Senate Health Committee hearing about COVID on Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci got caught in a hot mic moment when he said under his breath about Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), “What a moron, Jesus Christ!”
Fauci’s unprofessional response when asked for financial disclosures was completely unacceptable. Marshall challenged Fauci to a sparring match. Fauci stated that he’d filed financial disclosures.
“As the highest-paid employee in the entire federal government,” Marshall asked, “yes or no, would you be willing to submit to Congress and the public a financial disclosure that includes your past and current investments?”
“I don’t understand why you’re asking me that question,” Fauci replied. “My financial disclosure is public knowledge and has been so for the last 37 years or so, 35 years.”
NIAID said that Fauci is a public report filer, but Fauci’s spokesperson was unable to immediately provide that information to the NY Post when they asked. Liz Essley Whyte, Center for Public Integrity reporter tweeted that a 2-year-old disclosure form was available from April 2020. However, it contained many redactions and was also very old. Forbes stated that Fauci’s salary, stock, bond purchase, royalty payments, as well as his last year’s, aren’t available to the general public. OpenTheBooks.com is suing the NIH for those records and according to Forbes, they admitted they hold 1,200 pages relating to Fauci’s financial information and conflict of interest disclosures. They are also curious as to how Fauci has become one of the most highly-paid employees in government.
Marshall mocked Fauci by pointing out that he had lost the job because of bombshell information dropped on him.
“I understand that Anthony Fauci had a very frustrating day: having a bombshell report show he in fact did award U.S. tax dollars for gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and being called out about his personal financial disclosure during the COVID pandemic NOT being publicly available must be very frustrating,” Marshall said in a statement.
“Calling me a moron during a Senate hearing may have alleviated the stress of the least trusted bureaucrat in America, but it didn’t take away from the facts.”
We reported on that bombshell report earlier in the week that was contrary to Fauci’s prior testimony as to gain of function research.
Fauci’s perfect reply is Marshall.
Marshall will introduce legislation titled Financial Accountability for Uniquely Compensated Indiviuals (FAUCI Act). This legislation requires the Office of Government Ethics to compile a list of confidential filers in the government that aren’t public. Now that’s both a hilarious shot at Fauci and great for transparency, as a way to smoke out government officials with conflicts.
Fauci is not going away, and Marshall has no plans to stop Marshall.
“On Tuesday, I asked if you would provide your financial disclosures and investments to Congress and the public,” Marshall, a physician and military veteran, wrote to Fauci in a letter obtained by Fox News. “As a member of the committee directly responsible for the oversight of NIAID, I expect a direct, transparent, and honest answer. Instead, I received a personal insult and deflection as well as a counter-question about why financial disclosures were important. This question is both relevant and reasonable at a moment when many federal officials are being resigned due to questionsable financial transactions that occurred during the pandemic. [….]
“This letter is to formally request your financial disclosures for the fiscal years covering the pandemic,” Marshall wrote. “Several of my requests for information from your office have required months for a response or are still outstanding. These disclosures must be received by Friday January 14th at 5:00pm. Furthermore, considering the extensive redaction of the disclosure dated April 21, 2020, please provide me with copies that only redacts personal and sensitive information allowed for by law.”
Fauci will be more upset than ever. But he’s going to find himself in more hot water if he doesn’t turn over the information because Marshall isn’t going to let up.
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