Sen. Rand Paul has taken a massive step by referring Dr. Anthony Fauci to the Justice Department for potential criminal prosecution, asserting that Fauci may have lied under oath during congressional testimony about his knowledge of gain-of-function research at China’s Wuhan virus lab.

In a letter to District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, Sen. Paul requested a thorough investigation into whether the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) made false statements during his congressional testimony, an offense that carries the possibility of federal prison time.

Sen. Paul pointed out the contradictions between Fauci’s public statements and private communications, as well as his varying positions on gain-of-function research. He noted that during a congressional hearing, Fauci denied any funding of gain-of-function research, but later acknowledged its existence in private conversations.

“Congressional hearings are not platforms for political games, especially when the health and safety of American citizens is at stake,” Sen. Paul wrote, emphasizing the seriousness of the issue.

The Kentucky senator highlighted an email from Fauci, sent in early 2020, in which he acknowledged concerns that COVID-19 might have been genetically engineered due to ongoing gain-of-function research in Wuhan. This email contrasts sharply with Fauci’s categorical denial of any NIH funding for such research.

Sen. Paul argued that Fauci’s testimony contradicts a paper authored by Dr. Shi Zhengli, describing research funded by NIAID that combined genetic information from various SARS-related coronaviruses to create novel, potentially infectious artificial viruses.