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Who is David Schertler? Why was Anthony Fauci's attorney removed from Congress after Rand Paul's orders?
Rand Paul ordered Dr. Anthony Fauci's lawyer, David Schertler, removed from a Senate hearing after accusing him of disrupting proceedings.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden from 2021 to 2022 - the crucial years of the COVID-19 pandemic- appeared to testify before the Congress Wednesday following a subpoena.
Dr. Fauci was the target of far-right conspiracy theories over his role in the US government's COVID-19 response under Biden. However, his hearing turned out less dramatic than anticipated as the 85-year-old veteran doctor invoked the 5th Amendment and refused to answer questions before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. But there were still moments of sparks between Dr. Anthony Fauci's team and the Republican led Senate committee members.
One such flare point took place between committee chair Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and David Schertler, the attorney for Dr Anthony Fauci. So much so that Sen. Paul forced the removal of the lawyer from the veteran doctor's side inside Room 342 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. In this article, we will take a look at who attorney David Schertler is and why he was removed from Wednesday's hearing.
Also read: Why is Anthony Fauci testifying before Congress? All you need to know about Rand Paul hearing
Who is Anthony Fauci's Attorney David Schertler? Why Was He Removed?
David Schertler was by Dr. Anthony Fauci's side for most of the hearing, as the doctor continued to invoke the Fifth for at least 111 times under oath. Eventually, Dr. Fauci's refusal to testify reached a tipping point and Senate Homeland Security Committee’s Republican chair, Senator Rand Paul, lost his cool and hit out at David Schertler.
Taking a moment when Schertler was allegedly interrupting the Senate hearing, Sen. Paul hit out at him, warning of "consequences." Subsequently, Sen. Paul ordered the security to remove the lawyer from the room.
“You are not invited here for testimony, sir," Paul told Schertler. "You are being disruptive. Would you behave this way in a courtroom? No, because the judge would put you in jail.”
Who Is David Schertler?
David Schertler is a veteran trial lawyer from Washington DC. He has represented corporate executives, public officials, and other high-profile clients in criminal, civil, and congressional investigations. Schertler is one of the top white-collar criminal defense attorneys in the US.
He is the founder and managing partner of Schertler Onorato Mead Sears & Manning, a DC-based litigation boutique. Prior to that, he served as the Chief of the Homicide Section at the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
Among the cases he has fought in the US are Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal, the KPMG tax shelter investigation, Enron, WorldCom, AOL, and international Foreign Corrupt Practices
