Fox News Latest Headlines
NFL legend Rob Gronkowski details Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's 'magnificent' wedding
The guest list for Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s wedding was massive, but NFL legend Rob Gronkowski still said it was "very intimate."
Gronkowski, who was one of roughly 1,000 attendees at the wedding, said the ceremony between the Kansas City Chiefs great and the pop star was "magnificent."
"Oh, it was awesome. It really was. It was a magnificent wedding. It was a big one, but it really felt very lovey-dovey," Gronkowski told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
"Very intimate. That's what it did for how big of a wedding it was. Was the biggest one I've ever been to. It was very intimate, you know, for such a large-scale wedding."
The New England Patriots legend said the wedding flew by, and said that everything flowed together nicely. He praised the newlyweds for throwing such a great wedding.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
"It was it was A+. It really was. So, congratulations to Taylor and Travis on not just on all the love and positive energy that they're bringing to the table but to be able to throw a wedding like that takes so much time and effort. To be able to put that together and make it such a great experience for everyone is very appreciated," Gronkowski said.
Gronkowski, who spoke to Fox News Digital in partnership with eBay, said he got to meet so many "cool people" at Madison Square Garden and that he had never seen so many celebrities in one place.
SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS
"I have never (seen so many celebrities). I've been to a lot of events. It was definitely the biggest, most impactful one I've ever been to with just so many people that you turn around and you say, ‘Wow, wow. Wow. Like that's that person.’ And like I said, to have that and to have it be so intimate still, it's what made it special," Gronkowski said.
At the time of the interview, Gronkowski said he had not yet reached out to Kelce after the wedding. He praised Kelce for his "longevity" and what he is still doing on the football field. Kelce is set to enter the 14th season of his Hall of Fame-caliber career.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Sen Chuck Schumer unveils anti-corruption agency aimed at Trump and future presidents
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Thursday morning that he is introducing legislation to create a new federal agency tasked with investigating alleged corruption involving President Donald Trump and future presidential administrations.
During Public Citizen's "Combating Corruption" event, Schumer unveiled the new bill, calling it the "biggest, boldest and broadest proposal ever put forward to revitalize our anti-corruption institutions."
It would establish the Anti-Corruption Bureau, a new agency that would have subpoena power and could investigate the Trump administration even once Trump leaves office.
The bill would also allow citizens and state attorneys general to file lawsuits "to recover money stolen from the public through government corruption."
SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN LIMIT ON PARTY CAMPAIGN SPENDING IN COORDINATION WITH CANDIDATES
"The idea is simple. If Donald Trump or one of his lackeys, sons or cronies uses government influence to steal from you, you deserve your day in court. Our bill has provisions that give priority to state attorneys general and to larger, more severe cases of corruption to ensure that frivolous suits don't get in the way of justice," Schumer said.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau would be led by seven board members who would be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. To address possible bias, the board would be capped at three members from each party, with the seventh being nonpartisan.
The bill, if passed, would also represent a huge shake-up to the federal bureaucracy, since the Anti-Corruption Bureau would replace the Office of Government Ethics, the Federal Election Commission and the Office of Special Counsel, The Washington Post reported ahead of Schumer's speech.
More broadly, the bill would ban presidents and vice presidents — as well as their spouses and adult children — and many other senior administration officials from seeking or accepting gifts worth more than $50,000, the Post also reported.
REPUBLICANS TARGET TRUMP'S CRYPTO EMPIRE WITH NEW PLAN, DEMS SAY IT FALLS SHORT
The bill would empower the Anti-Corruption Bureau to investigate violations dating back to Jan. 20, 2025 — the first day of Trump’s second term — and would establish a 10-year statute of limitations, according to the Post.
Schumer said the bureau would be given "a self-sustaining funding source to guarantee its independence, much like the Federal Reserve."
Trump has repeatedly targeted Federal Reserve officials, including by considering whether to remove former Chair Jerome Powell before his term expired and attempting to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook. None of those attempts were successful.
"What if Trump tries to commandeer [the Anti-Corruption Bureau] to go after his political opponents?" Schumer said. "This would come at a steep price. Our bill explicitly prohibits weaponizing the bureau."
Schumer rattled off a number of supposed conflicts of interest Trump has been accused of having, including his solicitation of private donations for the White House ballroom project and his family's various crypto ventures.
"Trump has raked in at least $2.2 billion since taking office 18 months ago. Together, the Trump family has made at least $4 billion in that time," Schumer said. "How does a president and his family secure billions in profits just after a year and a half in office? How? By exploiting the information, access and influence that only the president of the United States can have."
Throughout Schumer's remarks, he emphasized that while Trump was the genesis of the legislation, it would not solely apply to him.
"Trump has created obnoxious new ways to undo government ethics that no one ever imagined the president would attempt. But picture if our next president is an even more devious or competent crook. The bill isn't just about this moment. It's about restoring American's trust in government long term," Schumer said.
He also suggested that Republicans are privately frustrated by Trump's alleged abuses of office and that they would "welcome this type of legislation."
The bill’s first cosponsors include Sens. Andy Kim, D-N.J.; Alex Padilla, D-Calif.; and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Schumer said.
WATCH: Schumer's anti-corruption speech derailed after heckler brands him 'genocidal maniac'
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wanted to talk about alleged corruption committed by President Donald Trump and his family, but instead was interrupted by a protester calling out his "diabolical record."
Schumer was just getting started with his speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to make a "major anti-corruption announcement," when an audience member seated in the front row tore into the Senate’s top Democrat.
"You talk about corruption, how can you talk about corruption when you back genocide? What can be more corrupt than genocide? This is part of the same con of you and Trump playing off of each other," the protester said.
REPUBLICANS TARGET TRUMP'S CRYPTO EMPIRE WITH NEW PLAN, DEMS SAY IT FALLS SHORT
The disruptor then noted that Schumer and other congressional Democrats were "put on notice" by the Center for Constitutional Rights in 2023 for "aiding and abetting" Israel in its war against Hamas.
Critics of that conflict have long pointed to the Jewish State for going above and beyond in their quest to snuff out the terrorist organization by leveling cities in Gaza, withholding food, aid and electricity and targeting civilians.
Schumer tried to regain control of the moment and told the audience member, "Thank you for your diatribe. Now let's continue. Let's continue."
But he wasn’t successful.
"You should be questioned about your diabolical record," the audience member said. "It's amazing that you can show your genocidal face in public."
REPUBLICANS FALL IN LINE WITH TRUMP ON IRAN WAR DESPITE RISING COSTS AND US DEATH TOLL
"Mr. Senator. Mr. Senator. Shame on Public Citizen for not allowing questions to this genocidal maniac," he said as he was escorted out.
Schumer has been a vocal supporter of Israel, voting to send aid and weaponry to the country during the conflict. But over the last several months, Senate Democrats have broken from him on a handful of occasions, and in growing numbers.
Earlier this year, Senate Democrats showed their slow creep away from Israel following the release of photos of starving children in Gaza.
GOP BLOCKS SCHUMER'S EFFORT TO GROUND TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR TRUMP'S QATARI AIR FORCE ONE
Forty Senate Democrats voted to halt arms sales and military bulldozers to Israel as an act of protest against Trump’s war in Iran in April.
The two resolutions from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., combined would have blocked nearly $500 million in arms and equipment sales to Israel. One resolution would have halted the sale of roughly $295 million in Caterpillar bulldozers, while the other would have stopped the sale of nearly $152 million worth of 1,000-pound bombs.
Meanwhile, despite the disruption, Schumer did get his point across: to announce the push for legislation to create a new anti-corruption agency.
"This bill is the biggest, boldest and broadest proposal ever put forward to revitalize our anti-corruption institutions," Schumer said.
Bryan Kohberger appointed new lawyer after Idaho murders case costs taxpayers over $8 million
Bryan Kohberger, whose murder case has reportedly cost taxpayers more than $8 million, has been appointed a new taxpayer-funded attorney as he seeks to withdraw his guilty plea in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students.
Ada County District Judge Steven Hippler on Wednesday granted Kohberger's request for court-appointed counsel, directing the Idaho State Public Defender to appoint an attorney to represent him in all post-conviction proceedings.
The order comes just days after Kohberger filed a handwritten petition for post-conviction relief seeking to withdraw the guilty plea he entered last year in exchange for prosecutors dropping the death penalty.
In the petition, Kohberger claimed he was "convinced to falsely confess" and alleged his defense attorneys – Anne Taylor, Elisa Massoth and Bicka Barlow – failed to disclose what he described as "exculpatory discovery," referring to evidence discussed in the recent book "Broken Plea" that was never examined in court.
Kohberger previously said he was entering the plea knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily and that no one had coerced him or promised him anything beyond the terms of the agreement. His new petition directly contradicts those statements.
As Fox News Digital previously reported, the filing outraged the family of victim Kaylee Goncalves, whose mother, Kristi Goncalves, said the family is prepared to return to court if Kohberger succeeds in reopening the case.
FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X
Hippler's order states Kohberger's motion for appointed counsel was granted under Idaho's post-conviction relief statute and directs the Idaho State Public Defender to appoint an attorney to represent him throughout the proceedings.
The judge also noted that Kohberger had filed a motion seeking to proceed on partial payment of court fees, but said filing fees do not apply to petitions for post-conviction relief.
SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST TRUE CRIME NEWS
Kohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 to the murders of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, admitting he fatally stabbed the four students inside an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, in November 2022. He was later sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.
LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE
An analysis by the Idaho Statesman found the investigation, prosecution and publicly funded defense have cost taxpayers more than $8 million.
Kohberger's publicly funded defense alone accounted for nearly $5.5 million of that total, including nearly $2.8 million funded by Latah County before October 2024 and more than $2.65 million in additional defense costs after the state assumed responsibility for the case.
The remaining costs include spending by local and state law enforcement, prosecutors, the University of Idaho and the cost of housing Kohberger in custody after his arrest.
Public records reviewed by the Statesman show Kohberger's attorneys have collectively earned more than $980,000 since the transition to the statewide public defender system.
It remains unclear how much his post-conviction proceedings will add to the taxpayer tab. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Idaho State Public Defender's Office for comment.
LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO' PODCAST
Prosecutors said Kohberger turned off his cellphone before entering the off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, where the four students were fatally stabbed in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022, and turned it back on after the killings.
Court records also show he searched online for local police dispatch audio after the murders. Investigators found none of the victims' DNA inside his car after seizing it in Pennsylvania, but an FBI analyst concluded soil recovered from a shovel in the vehicle was consistent with dirt from the Moscow area.
At his sentencing last year, Kohberger received four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. He showed little visible emotion as relatives of the victims and the two surviving roommates delivered emotional victim impact statements condemning him for the killings.
Josh Hartnett fights a mysterious sea creature in Netflix limited series 'Below' coming October 2026
The first preview for Netflix's new limited series "Below" is out.
Basic info:
JESSICA CHASTAIN'S NEW HORROR MOVIE 'OTHER MOMMY' DROPS A TERRIFYING FIRST TRAILER FOR FANS
There's nothing like a great mystery about an unknown sinister force to really grab your interest and pull you in.
It looks like that's exactly what will happen with "Below."
The first preview for the Netflix series was released earlier this week, and it definitely feels like the show with Josh Hartnett and Charlie Heaton is going to be incredibly dark and ominous.
Give the trailer a watch below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
What do we think? I think "Below" looks outstanding. I've been waiting for the trailer ever since whispers about the series first started circulating.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK CULTURE COVERAGE
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS
Josh Hartnett is criminally underrated, and his performance in "Black Hawk Down" remains legendary. Now, he's linking up with Netflix for a series that feels like a blend of "Jaws" and a supernatural horror, set in an isolated fishing community.
Yeah, I'm 100% sold. Say no more. That's a formula that is going to be a must-watch for me every single time.
You can catch "Below" on Netflix starting Oct. 8. Let me know your thoughts on the preview at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
Lexie Hull fills up stat sheet with mid-season fits, internet's favorite goalie stops by & the Tony Romo edit
Time flies, it's already Thursday and I have only one more relief appearance to go in this latest Screencaps call to the bullpen. It's been a ride, as it always is when filling in for Joe.
I have Lexie Hull getting us started today and, in the spirit of her leadership, I'm going to put my hand up and take responsibility for the Yankees extra inning loss last night in Chicago.
In the "Numbers From" section on Wednesday, I included a stat that stated the Yankees had won 11 of their last 15 games. I know better. It's mentioning a no-hitter in the middle of a no-hitter.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
You can't do it. I did it, and they blew a 4-0 lead over the White Sox last night and a brutal throwing error with a one-run lead in the 11th inning tied the game and paved the way for Chicago's 6-5 win. That's on me.
This time of year you can't make those mistakes. I need to be better. I need to be more like Lexie Hull. While her Indiana Fever teammates are taking heat, she's showing up every night ready to take care of business.
CAITLIN CLARK ERUPTS FOR 32 POINTS AS FEVER HOLD OFF STORM TO COMPLETE SEASON-SERIES SWEEP
It's about marketing, it's about numbers, and it's about winning. She's doing all that, and she has the "mid season fits" to prove it.
That's how you fill up a stat sheet. That's how you provide calm in the middle of chaos. It's called leadership.
Lexie isn't out giving a team that is playing well any undeserved attention for doing so. She's smarter than I am.
She and the Fever have won four straight games. If I was a betting man, I'd say she'd continue her strong effort and continue to fill out the stat sheet during the rest of the season.
We're going to shift gears on a light email day to a bizarre story about a man being found in the wall of a plasma center in Fresno, California.
I'm not sure what I'm doing right, but these kinds of stories seem to find me even when I'm not looking for them. It started with a call to the Fresno Police Department around 7 am on Wednesday, reports FOX 26 News.
There were reports of a person possibly being in the attic of Grifols Biomat USA Plasma Center. Officers arrived on the scene and searched the business, but didn’t find anything.
Around two hours later, they received another call from the plasma center. A patient had heard noises coming from inside the wall and saw eyes looking at them.
This time, the officers found something, a man. They tried to get him to come out of the wall on his own, but he responded by throwing metal objects at them. So they used pepper balls on him.
That worked. He came out and was completely naked. But before coming out and being arrested, he damaged a water main.
That flooded the lobby of the plasma center and caused the other businesses in the strip mall to be evacuated. Just another weekday morning at a plasma center in Fresno, California.
Keep your head on a swivel. You never know when a naked man will be hanging out in the wall at the strip mall plasma center.
- Dennis writes:
In May, our Alpharetta / Milton GA Cracker Barrel closed unexpectedly after 20 years. I’ve been dining there for a third of my life. Raised my kids on it. Date nights with my wife.
I want my CB back. IT’S PERSONAL!!
SeanJo
Dennis, thanks for reaching out. The unexpected closures are the toughest. Usually there are signs. There's a noticeable drop off in customers and in the quality of the establishment.
I've been in a couple of different restaurants that were once a spot we enjoyed that were on their last legs. It's a sad thing to witness.
Who knows? Maybe a Cracker Barrel will pop back up in your area.
- Jim T in San Diego writes:
Stupid heat wave - but I still wanted something grilled ...
SeanJo
It is the most heroic among us who brave a stupid heat wave and fire up the grill anyway. Does it suck?
It does while you're standing directly next to a hot grill. The reward in the form of the finished product for those who do, however, is worth it.
I hope you feel the same way. Keep fighting the good fight and keep sending me your meat.
- Gen X Warren M writes:
This is what us Floridians are going through right now
SeanJo
The meteorologist, who I see went to Penn State, said it perfectly. But nobody is in Florida for either of its worst and that's why you put up with it. The best of what the state has to offer is pretty good.
##########
That's all for this Thursday edition of Screencaps. Being that it is Thursday, I have to get going on this week's True Romance.
I didn't get out in the sun after work yesterday, but will definitely be doing that today. My wife dragged me out to the mall again last night.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS
And for a Wednesday evening at the end of July it was pretty busy. As I said after my last visit earlier this summer, malls aren't dead.
My last relief appearance this week will be tomorrow. Joe will be back on Saturday. Keep sending your meat and whatever else you want to email or my DMs.
My email is sean.joseph@outkick.com and you can find me here on Twitter and here on Instagram.
Pete Crow-Armstrong launches savage extra-inning home run before Cardinals get the last laugh
Chicago Cubs superstar Pete Crow-Armstrong launched an extra-innings home run against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night. With the long ball being a two-run shot that broke up the scoreless contest, the All-Star center fielder soaked up what appeared to be a game-winning moment, but sometimes, things are not what they seem.
The Cubs entered the 10th inning with just two hits, but the lifeless night offensively got quite the jolt when PCA stepped to the plate.
After taking a first-pitch strike to begin the at-bat, Crow-Armstrong got the pitch he wanted just below the strike zone, and immediately knew the baseball was leaving the yard.
PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG HITS FOR REVERSE CYCLE, DELIVERS IN THE CLUTCH BEFORE CUBS WALK OFF ROCKIES
Not only did PCA drop his bat and give the Chicago dugout a lengthy stare, but it took him 28 seconds to round the bases. His now-patented move as he rounded third base, in which he puts both arms behind his neck while flexing towards his team's dugout, added a few seconds to the celebration.
Crow-Armstrong's 10th-inning home run was a nice way to erase his 0-for-4 stat line at the dish before he stepped to the plate, but the Cardinals didn't let the deflating moment completely kill their spirits.
Chicago reliever Trent Thornton took over on the mound to begin the bottom of the 10th inning, and things immediately got away from him.
Lars Nootbaar reached on a single to begin the frame before walking the next batter he faced to load the bases. Thornton was able to get one out with Jordan Walker grounding into a fielder's choice, but with the momentum clearly on St. Louis' side, Ivan Herrera poked a double to left field to give the hometown Cards a win to snap their three-game skid.
Crow-Armstrong has become a legitimate contender to take home National League MVP honors in 2026. While Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way star Shohei Ohtani is still the no-doubt favorite, PCA staying somewhat on pace with him as the calendar flips to August has made things interesting.
Crow-Armstrong has hit 24 home runs and driven in 63 runs while carrying a .920 OPS, which is good enough for a Top 25 mark in the MLB.
Netanyahu opens up about working relationship with Trump, says Israel is 'junior partner'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a glimpse into his working relationship with President Donald Trump, dismissing suggestions that either leader dictates the other's decisions and describing an alliance rooted in mutual respect despite occasional disagreements.
"We are allies. He's the senior partner. We're the junior partner, obviously, but we treat each other with tremendous respect," Netanyahu said on the "Hanging Out with Sean Hannity" podcast.
While acknowledging that he and Trump don't see eye to eye on every issue, Netanyahu said they agree "most of the time" and remain united on the issues that matter most.
NETANYAHU REJECTS REPORTS OF A RIFT WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP, SAYS THE TWO REMAIN ALIGNED ON IRAN
"On the main things, we agree, and we respect each other, and I respect him enormously," he shared.
Netanyahu also credited Trump's leadership style as a key reason for their successful partnership, describing the president as an "irreverent" leader who isn't afraid to break with convention.
"He just says what he thinks, and his basic instincts are always on target, and he cuts to the chase," Netanyahu said.
TRUMP SEEKS $672M TO STOP IRANIAN NUKES AS NEGOTIATORS WEIGH FATE OF URANIUM STOCKPILE
"He just does what he believes is good for America."
Despite criticism from both sides of the Atlantic, the two leaders have remained aligned on several of the region's most consequential issues, including quashing Iran's nuclear ambitions and pursuing Middle East peace.
Netanyahu also brushed aside speculation about the balance of power between the two leaders, joking that Americans say he controls Trump while Israelis insist Trump controls him.
Hannity's full conversation with Netanyahu is available on iHeart, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.
Capitol sex scandals spark push to ban House lawmakers from sleeping with staffers
FIRST ON FOX: New legislation being dropped on Thursday is seeking to bar House lawmakers from having sex with staffers after a series of exposés rocked Capitol Hill.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is expected to introduce a pair of bills aimed at better defining the relationships lawmakers can have with employees of the House of Representatives, Fox News Digital is told.
One is a House resolution that would bar House lawmakers from having sex with any employee of the chamber. The other would block those lawmakers from living with House employees, except for married couples cohabitating.
CAPITOL HILL SEX SCANDALS TRIGGER NEW PUSH TO REDRAW THE LINE FOR LAWMAKERS
Mace told Fox News Digital, "If you're a member of Congress, your priorities should be serving your constituents and this country, not fooling around with staff."
And while the sex ban would apply to all members, regardless of gender, she made clear it was aimed at male lawmakers who she argued were abusing their power over female staff.
"Congress is not your personal dating pool. If you can't do your job without hitting on staff, find another job and leave the women you work with alone," Mace said.
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER WELCOMES HOUSE ETHICS PROBE INTO SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM
On her second bill banning lawmakers from living with staff, she said, "No staffer should ever be coming home at night to the person who signs their paycheck. It's inappropriate, it's a conflict of interest, and it should have been banned decades ago."
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is the latest member of Congress whose reported past trysts with Hill aides were made public.
Gallego previously had sexual relationships with two House staffers, the New York Post reported. Gallego's defenders have argued that he would not have run afoul of any rules because he was unmarried at the time and the staffers did not work for him.
GONZALES RESIGNS IN WAKE OF RENEWED EXPULSION THREAT AFTER SCANDAL
Before that, sexual misconduct and rape allegations against former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., derailed his then-promising gubernatorial campaign and forced him to resign from Congress. Swalwell has denied those accusations but admitted to making unspecified personal mistakes in a public statement where he also apologized to his wife.
On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, was forced to resign his seat after scrutiny piled up over an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide.
And Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., is being probed by the House Ethics Committee over sexual harassment allegations himself, which Edwards has denied, Axios reported.
Mace's bills are the latest response from Congress over the slew of scandals. Reps. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., Jeff Crank, R-Colo., Lisa McClain, R-Mich., and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have all endorsed limits on what relationships House members can have with staff.
Cammack and Crank have also introduced legislation imposing limits on such conduct.
Can Fauci hide behind the Fifth? Game-changing Biden pardon may not provide complete cover, experts say
Dr. Anthony Fauci's refusal to answer more than 100 questions during Wednesday's fiery Senate hearing has sparked a legal showdown over whether a witness granted a sweeping presidential pardon can still invoke the Fifth Amendment.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, announced after the hearing that he plans to pursue contempt proceedings against Fauci following the repeated invocations of the Fifth Amendment and his refusal to answer lawmakers' questions.
"We're going to have a vote next week on contempt," Paul said. "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."
RAND PAUL SEEKS CONTEMPT CHARGES AFTER FAUCI INVOKES FIFTH AMENDMENT MORE THAN 100 TIMES
Former President Joe Biden issued Fauci, who served as the chief architect for the government's COVID-19 guidelines, a full and unconditional pardon for all actions taken between Jan. 1, 2014, and Jan. 19, 2025. Biden's broad pardon protected Fauci from prosecution for the actions being investigated by the committee, leaving only the possibility of charges if he lied under oath.
Abhishek Kambli, a former Justice Department official who now represents former Trump advisor Peter Navarro in his contempt of Congress case, told Fox News Digital that the issue presents a novel legal question about whether Fauci can invoke the Fifth Amendment at all.
"Obviously, if he tells the truth, then he would be protected by that blanket pardon, since the past conduct that he reveals he's fully immunized from," Kambli told Fox News Digital.
Kambli questioned whether the Fifth Amendment privilege properly applies if truthful testimony could no longer expose Fauci to prosecution for the underlying conduct.
"His theory is that it's a witch hunt and that they're looking for perjury traps to charge him with, so that's why he needs to invoke the Fifth Amendment," Kambli said.
But Kambli said the argument becomes more difficult to sustain if lawmakers are asking straightforward factual questions.
"I think it gets a little problematic," Kambli said of Fauci invoking the Fifth Amendment for common knowledge questions like what day of the week it is.
FAUCI PLEADS FIFTH WITH 'ZERO LEGAL JUSTIFICATION' AS CRITICS ERUPT AND DEMAND CONTEMPT CHARGES
"If it's just factual questions that he should know the answer on, it's hard to see how he would walk into a perjury trap if he's just telling the truth, because perjury also requires that you knowingly made a false statement," Kambli said. "If he had an incorrect recollection, that was an innocent mistake that typically wouldn't lead to a perjury charge."
Kambli said federal law distinguishes between witnesses who ignore a congressional subpoena and those who appear before Congress but refuse to answer questions. In the latter case, he said, prosecutors generally do not have to prove the witness intentionally violated the law. Instead, the central question is whether the witness had a valid legal basis for refusing to answer, such as a legitimate claim under the Fifth Amendment.
"The issue is [the witness] is already protected if he tells the truth, and it's only if he knowingly lies about something material that he can be charged," Kambli said. "So the issue becomes whether the Senate can make a referral to DOJ based on that."
George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley said the legal issues surrounding Fauci's testimony are more complicated than either side suggests.
"The only risk that he faced would come from any false statements that he made in the hearing in dealing with these questions," Turley told Fox News Digital. "That would likely be viewed as sufficient, particularly since some questions could extend to statements and conduct from after the pardon grant."
Turley also pointed to Fauci's decision to deliver an opening statement before invoking the Fifth Amendment, suggesting it could raise additional legal questions.
"There are also questions about the questions limited to the period of his pardon as well as his decision to give an opening statement before invocation. Those are possible grounds for contempt. It would raise novel issues, though there is precedent from the Lois Lerner matter," Turley said.
TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM FAUCI'S HEARING: PAUL BOOTS LAWYER, MORENO ERUPTS AS CONTEMPT VOTE LOOMS
Turley was referring to former IRS official Lois Lerner, who declared her innocence in a voluntary opening statement before invoking the Fifth Amendment during a 2013 congressional hearing. House Republicans argued Lerner waived her right to invoke the Fifth Amendment when she made statements about the very subject under investigation. Although the House held Lerner in contempt, the Justice Department later declined to pursue criminal contempt charges.
But Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, argued Paul's position is stronger than Fauci's.
"He can't be prosecuted by the federal government for any actions he took during the period the pardon covers," von Spakovsky said. "However, if he lies while under oath at his hearing today about any of those prior actions, he could be prosecuted for perjury."
SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER
While von Spakovsky acknowledged that Biden's pardon of Fauci covers only federal charges, it does not shield Fauci from facing state charges. But he noted no state has accused Fauci of violating state law, at least not yet. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Wednesday announced a state investigation into Fauci, following his testimony on Capitol Hill.
"The possibility of a state prosecution is almost nonexistent because states generally cannot prosecute federal officials acting within the scope of their duties and Fauci would argue that everything he did over COVID was carried out in his official slot as head of NIAID," von Spakovsky told Fox News Digital.
"The only reason for him to take the Fifth is because he doesn't want to admit, based on his personal diaries, that he lied repeatedly to the public and Congress when he was head of the NIAID," von Spakovsky said.
If Paul's contempt resolution clears the committee, it would move to the full Senate, but it will need to beat the 60-vote filibuster in order to pass.
Fox News Digital reached out to Fauci's attorney, David Schertler, for comment.