‘You Are Not Recognized!’ Rand Paul Throws Out Fauci’s Lawyer in Stunning Clash at Hearing

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) threw an attorney representing Dr. Anthony Fauci out of the room in a shocking clash at Wednesday’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee hearing.

The wild moment happened at the end of Paul’s questioning of Fauci — in which the former head of the NIAID repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to engage. David Schertler, an attorney for Fauci who had been sitting behind his client, sat down next to him and tried to talk into the microphone.

“You’re not recognized, you’re not recognized!” Paul said. “If you are unruly, you will be removed from the proceeding.”

Schertler kept trying to talk, but his words were difficult to make out.

“You were told not to sit at the table,” Paul said. “You insist on sitting at the table. And we told you, you would not be recognized. You are not invited here for testimony, sir! You are being disruptive! Would you behave this way in a courtroom? No, because the judge would put you in jail. I can’t do that today, but I can have you escorted from the premises. So I would say, sir, sit quietly and don’t say another word.”

Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) told Paul he would like to hear from Schertler, but Paul denied the request. Eventually, he made good on his threat to kick Paul out.

“Security, please remove him from the room!” Paul said — as Schertler was escorted out. “Let the record state that Dr. Fauci will still have the advice of the other half a dozen attorneys that he brought along today.”

Afterwards, Schertler told NBC’s Julia Tsirkin what he’d intended to say, if he had been given the chance.

“Dr. Fauci has a valid Fifth Amendment privilege, and he has the right to assert it,” Schertler said. “That’s what I was trying to tell the committee, and that’s all I was trying to tell the committee.”

Watch above, via CNN.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!