Senator Rand Paul is once again putting Dr. Anthony Fauci in the hot seat.
According to a recent New York Times report, President Biden’s team used an “autopen” to sign off on Fauci’s pardon just hours before leaving office in January. The device mimics a person’s signature and has been used by past presidents to sign bills and orders.
Paul says using it to pardon Fauci raises serious questions.
Today I will reissue my criminal referral of Anthony Fauci to Trump DOJ! https://t.co/trIhJHAOlx
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) July 14, 2025
Paul is now urging the Trump administration’s Department of Justice to take another look at Fauci, this time without the legal shield of Biden’s pardon.
What’s This All About?
The issue goes back to how Dr. Fauci handled the COVID-19 pandemic.
Paul, a longtime critic, says Fauci lied to Congress about government money funding dangerous virus research in China.
In 2021, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) admitted that around $600,000 in grants went to a group called EcoHealth Alliance. That group then worked with a lab in Wuhan, China.
While there’s still no hard proof that this research caused COVID-19, the connection made a lot of Americans uneasy. Paul says Fauci knew more than he let on and misled lawmakers.
He tried sending a criminal referral back in 2023, but then-Attorney General Merrick Garland never acted on it.
Now that President Trump is back in office, Paul hopes for a different outcome.
Why the Autopen Matters
Normally, a president signs a pardon with their own hand. In this case, the Biden team used an autopen (a mechanical signature machine) to approve Fauci’s pardon late at night on January 19. Emails show the final version was sent out and signed in less than 30 minutes.
Many are saying it’s nothing new. Presidents like Truman, Kennedy, and even Obama have used the autopen for official actions. President Carter even used it to pardon over 200,000 Vietnam War draft evaders back in 1977.
A 2005 Justice Department memo backs up the use of autopens, saying they’re legal if the president gives clear approval.
But Paul and others think a pardon – especially one as controversial as Fauci’s – shouldn’t be rubber-stamped by a machine; and that’s without mentioning the concerns around Biden’s mental fitness.
Mixed Reactions
On X, reactions to Paul’s move were split.
Some users praised the push, calling it a step toward cleaning out “bureaucratic rot.” Others warned it was just a distraction.
Still, Paul has his sights set on getting answers. He’s calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to look into whether Fauci’s pardon should be considered valid.
If not, the door could reopen for criminal charges.
Bigger Picture
Paul’s latest move fits with a broader push by Republicans to revisit decisions made during the Biden years.
Fauci, who led the nation’s pandemic response under both Trump and Biden, remains a lightning rod in conservative circles.
At 84 years old, Fauci has largely stepped out of the spotlight, but to many on the right his name still stirs up frustration over lockdowns, mandates, and bureaucratic overreach.
Whether the DOJ takes action is still up in the air, but Paul isn’t backing down.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
