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

WASHINGTON \u2014 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 \u200bto 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 \u200cindependently substantiated.Fauci, who led the U.S. response to COVID-19, has denied the allegations.Republican Sen. Rand Paul has asked the Department of Justice to prosecute Fauci after he refused to answer questions about the pandemic at a congressional \u2060hearing last month. Three state attorneys general have since launched their own probes against \u200bhim.The defense fund underscores how Fauci, once the public face of the U.S. response \u2060to COVID-19, has become a central target of Republican efforts to revisit the origins of the pandemic and scrutinize government decision-making during the health crisis. His lawyers say the mounting investigations \u200ccould result in lengthy and costly legal \u200cproceedings despite Biden's pardon."Dr. Fauci is facing an unprecedented legal barrage for a retired civil servant, and he deserves a robust defense against these \u2060unfounded and frivolous actions," David Schertler, counsel to Fauci, said in a statement to Reuters. "Dr. Fauci has not \u2060done anything wrong, and we are prepared to fight back against this shameful harassment of an honorable man who dedicated his career to saving lives."The launch of a legal defense fund has not been previously reported.Fauci, 85, led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for nearly 40 years and advised seven U.S. presidents. He retired in 2022.During the pandemic, he was a leading proponent of lockdown measures, mask requirements and vaccine development that ultimately helped the United States and other countries emerge from COVID. Such recommendations against a novel virus were endorsed by many global health officials and governments worldwide. Scientists and intelligence agencies remain divided over whether \u200cCOVID was caused by a leak from laboratory experiments in China, or from transmission from animals to humans.Torrent of attacksYet \u200bFauci has faced a torrent of attacks over the U.S. response to