Anthony Fauci Seen Outside Home After Senate Contempt Vote as Wife Reacts to Photographers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci was photographed outside his Washington, D.C., home hours after a Senate committee voted to hold him in contempt of Congress, while his wife, bioethicist Christine Grady, drew attention after making an obscene gesture toward photographers.

The images emerged Thursday, the same day the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 8–5 along party lines to refer Fauci to the U.S. Department of Justice for potential prosecution after he repeatedly declined to answer questions during a hearing on the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to committee members, Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 111 times during last week’s hearing, where he had been subpoenaed to testify about pandemic-era policies, U.S.-funded coronavirus research, and statements made during the COVID-19 crisis.

Republican lawmakers, led by committee chairman Sen. Rand Paul, argued that Fauci could not properly invoke the Fifth Amendment because former President Joe Biden had previously granted him a broad federal pardon covering potential offenses committed between 2014 and 2025. Democrats and Fauci’s attorney strongly disputed that interpretation, arguing that he retained constitutional protections and that the contempt effort was politically motivated.

If the Justice Department ultimately prosecutes the referral and Fauci is convicted of misdemeanor contempt of Congress, he could face a penalty of up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine. Legal experts note, however, that a committee vote alone does not result in criminal penalties, and the Justice Department must decide whether to pursue the case.

Photographs published Thursday showed the 85-year-old physician taking a recycling bin to the curb before later leaving the neighborhood in a vehicle driven by Grady. As photographers continued taking pictures, Grady appeared to make an obscene hand gesture before driving away. Neither Fauci nor Grady publicly commented on the encounter.

The contempt referral marks the latest chapter in years of political and legal disputes surrounding Fauci’s leadership during the pandemic. In addition to the Senate investigation, several state attorneys general have issued subpoenas related to separate inquiries into his public statements and decisions during the COVID-19 response.

For now, the matter remains with the Justice Department, which will determine whether to pursue criminal contempt charges. Until any prosecution or court ruling occurs, the Senate committee’s vote represents a referral rather than a finding of criminal guilt.