Dr. Fauci and the FBI Refuse to Answer Questions from U.S. Senators

Two exchanges this Tuesday between United States Senators and representatives from powerful federal agencies highlight succinctly the distrust many Americans feel toward their government, especially over the past two years.

Listening at the Hearing

First, Senator Ted Cruz from Texas questioned Jill Sanborn, Executive Assistant Director for the National Security Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Senator Cruz asked repeatedly whether plainclothes FBI agents in any way participated in instigating what happened at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021. And just as repeatedly, the FBI declined to answer either in the negative or the affirmative important questions as to the FBI’s involvement.

Second, Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky grilled Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on leaked emails exposing collusion on his part with efforts to discredit epidemiologists at Harvard, Oxford, and Stanford who had questioned or contradicted the official narrative regarding the government’s characterization of and response to COVID.

Just as adamantly, Dr. Fauci tried to flip the script on Senator Paul by making the whole business into a kind of game of dueling argumentum ad hominem.

Accountability End Run

“I know you are but what am I” hardly inspires confidence in ‘The Science.’ 

So also, “I can’t answer that question” repeatedly from the pre-eminent national law enforcement agency with regards to the active role that agency may or may not have played in an alleged instance of domestic terrorism for partisan political purposes cannot engender anything other than fear and distrust towards the Department of Justice in the hearts and minds of the American people.

Both of these exchanges really get to the crux of the problem with our government.

When direct, specific, substantive, important, and relevant questions are asked by Senate committee members tasked with providing oversight of unelected government officials and their respective bureaucracies, the public and our elected representatives have a right to clear-cut answers which are simple, concise, and sensible. Script-flipping and unresponsiveness will not do.

The “conspiracy theorists” can be forgiven then for having said for some time that something is rotten in the state of Denmark. And this really does get to the problem with supposing that anyone but God is basically good. 

Inherently Not Good

If people were inherently good and could be relied upon to act in accordance with justice and science, what need would we have for these agencies in the first place?

The darker and more unsettling answer is the one which those who are quick to dismiss all uncomfortable questions have chiefly in mind when they wave off attempts at connecting dots and calling spades by their names.

Sometimes the greatest threat to justice and good science comes from those who are chiefly tasked with safeguarding those things. And stating that simple fact seems less and less crazy as the facts keep pouring in and questions remain unanswered and evaded.

Sometimes indeed the fox is assigned guard duty at the hen house.

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