Florida, Louisiana, and West Virginia attorneys general issued a subpoena to Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday, seeking documents about his financial awards, grants, book deals, and board positions linked to his pandemic guidance, according to a news release from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.
The subpoena requests documents covering January 3, 2020, through August 31, 2026, and specifically asks for records concerning Fauci’s interactions with Florida businesses, media outlets, and communities regarding COVID-19 recommendations. It also seeks materials about vaccine efficacy, boosters, natural immunity, potential adverse events including myocarditis risks, messaging strategies, and communications with vaccine manufacturers.
Uthmeier argued that while government officials have immunity in their official capacities, “if Fauci personally profited off of the ‘guidance’ he issued, that very well could have broken Florida law.” West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey said in the release that “the American people deserve to know if they or their elected leaders were misled or manipulated.”
The move follows Fauci’s appearance before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on July 29, where he invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times rather than answer questions from Republicans about his handling of the pandemic. According to the ALREADY_RETRIEVED data from the headline verification step, Fauci cited his lawyers’ advice and Senator Rand Paul’s “obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution” as reasons for invoking his constitutional right against self-incrimination.
The state subpoena is significant because of the limits of Fauci’s federal protection. President Joe Biden issued a preemptive pardon for Fauci on January 19, 2025, his last day in office, covering potential federal offenses committed between 2014 and 2024. However, that pardon does not shield Fauci from state-level prosecution. As legal experts noted in reporting on the Fifth Amendment controversy, state attorneys general can pursue charges that fall outside the scope of Biden’s pardon, which is why Republican-led states have moved to open their own investigations.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said her office had previously deposed Fauci and would be reopening an investigation following the Senate hearing. The three-state subpoena represents an escalation of GOP efforts to hold Fauci accountable for his pandemic-era decisions, which have become a focal point for Republican criticism and investigations since Fauci’s journal entries were released by Senator Paul.
The Senate committee is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to hold Fauci in contempt for his refusal to answer questions. If approved, the resolution would be sent to the Justice Department, though the department would decide whether to pursue any action. The contempt vote does not carry automatic legal consequences but signals Republican intent to pursue multiple avenues of accountability—federal, state, and legislative—against the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Fauci has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic response. His lawyer, David Schertler, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the state subpoena.
Sources
- NBC News — confirmed three state attorneys general (Florida, Louisiana, West Virginia) issued subpoena to Fauci; details of subpoena scope and Uthmeier’s statement about potential profiteering; Biden’s pardon scope (federal only, not state).
- ALREADY_RETRIEVED (headline verification step) — Fauci invoked Fifth Amendment over 100 times at July 29, 2026 Senate hearing; details of Senate hearing and Fauci’s rationale.
