Florida's attorney general, James Uthmeier, has issued a subpoena to Dr Anthony Fauci as part of an investigation into whether the former US infectious disease chief profited from federal COVID-19 guidance that damaged businesses and residents. The move adds further legal pressure on Fauci, who already faces scrutiny in Washington over his handling of the pandemic response and the origins of the virus.

The subpoena was announced on Wednesday and coincides with a Senate panel preparing to vote on a contempt resolution against Fauci, after he reportedly invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times during recent testimony to Congress on COVID-19's origins. Uthmeier discussed the investigation in a Fox News interview, framing it as an effort to hold Fauci accountable for guidance issued during his tenure at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.