Several Republican state attorneys general are increasing their efforts to investigate the origins of COVID-19 and the government decisions made during the pandemic, with new state-level actions targeting former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci and broader questions surrounding shutdown policies.
The latest developments include formal investigations launched by Florida and Louisiana, as Republican attorneys general continue examining what federal officials knew about the pandemic’s origins, public health decisions, and the economic consequences of restrictions that affected businesses, schools, and communities nationwide.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that he issued a subpoena to Dr. Fauci on behalf of the state, marking the first time a state attorney general has taken such action against Fauci. The subpoena seeks information about Fauci’s knowledge and actions during the pandemic, while Florida officials said they are also exploring potential damages connected to the state’s investigation.
The move follows a Senate hearing in which Fauci reportedly invoked his Fifth Amendment rights more than 100 times, according to the announcement from the Republican attorneys general group.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced that her office would join the multistate investigation into Fauci’s actions, citing newly released records that she said conflict with Fauci’s previous sworn statements.
“Fauci lied,” Murrill said. She added that the investigation will review whether Fauci’s conduct could constitute offenses that state prosecutors may pursue.
Florida’s investigation was announced earlier, with Uthmeier stating that the state would seek further information about the government’s handling of the pandemic.
“My office is launching an investigation into Dr. Fauci,” Uthmeier said. “It’s past time we get the truth of what happened during COVID.”
Louisiana’s participation expands a growing effort involving Alabama and Florida to examine Fauci’s actions through state-level legal channels. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who previously participated in a 2022 deposition involving Fauci while serving as attorney general, has expressed support for the review.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has also backed the U.S. Senate’s investigation into Fauci and directed his office to evaluate whether pandemic-era actions violated Oklahoma law, including potential fraud or conspiracy-related concerns.
Multistate Coalition Pushes for Broader Pandemic Accountability
The new investigations build on a Republican attorneys general coalition originally formed in 2020 under the leadership of South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. The group initially focused on pursuing accountability related to China’s role in the pandemic and has since expanded its focus to include broader reviews of the government’s pandemic response.
The coalition has grown to include 17 states and argues that federal protections cannot prevent state-level investigations into officials’ conduct. The group has called for a comprehensive review of pandemic decisions, including policies that affected businesses, schools, and local economies.
The coalition includes attorneys general from Tennessee, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Idaho, North Dakota, Utah, Indiana, South Dakota, Arkansas, Montana, Missouri and Kansas.
Republican attorneys general say the investigations represent one of the most significant state-level challenges to federal pandemic policies to date. They have stated that they intend to use available legal measures to determine what officials knew, when they knew it, and who should be held responsible for decisions made during the public health emergency.
“Fauci hurt our children, impugned our freedoms, and cost the American people trillions in economic impact. He mandated that we trust science regardless of common sense. For six years, Republican AGs have been freedom’s front line from fighting shutdowns to making China pay for their economic damages,” said Adam Piper, Executive Director of the Republican Attorneys General Association. “Republican Attorneys General aren’t waiting on Washington to tell the truth about COVID-19. From day one, our AGs took China to court while Fauci was managing his press clippings. That work is accelerating today.”
The Republican attorneys general group said additional states are expected to announce similar actions in the coming weeks as investigations into pandemic-era decisions continue to expand.
