Newly obtained documents show that Dr. Anthony Fauci received $15 million in taxpayer-funded security after his retirement, according to a report by independent journalist Jordan Schachtel and Open The Books.
The arrangement, detailed in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), provided security for Fauci from January 4, 2023, to September 20, 2024.
The protection included a security detail and chauffeur.
The U.S. Marshals Service, which operates under the Department of Justice, confirmed to the Daily Caller that they provided protective services to Fauci from January 2023 to August 2024, one month less than indicated by Schachtel’s report.
The $15 million security arrangement did not include the costs of Fauci’s previous protection, which began in April 2020 and continued through December 2022.
According to the MOU, the $15 million covered transportation, law enforcement equipment, and the salaries and benefits of Fauci’s security team. The agreement also included the option to renew or extend the contract in the future if deemed necessary.
The report highlights the unique nature of this extended security arrangement, noting that it could not find other examples of a former federal employee receiving protection at this level.
Fauci, who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) until his retirement in December 2022, was among the highest-paid federal employees, with a salary surpassing that of then-President Donald Trump in 2019.
The allocation of taxpayer funds for post-retirement protection has drawn comparisons to similar arrangements for former public officials.
Former presidents receive Secret Service protection for life, per federal law, and some high-level officials have also received extended security due to potential threats.
For example, two former national security advisers in the Trump administration were provided with taxpayer-funded security after leaving office due to threats from Iran, at a cost exceeding $12 million, according to a 60 Minutes report from CBS News.
Separately, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who suspended his campaign, reportedly lost his Secret Service detail.
The Daily Caller News Foundation confirmed that Kennedy was initially denied Secret Service protection multiple times and only received protection after an attempted assassination of President-elect Trump in July.
The report on Fauci’s security funding has reignited scrutiny of his time as head of NIAID.
Fauci’s agency previously faced criticism after the White Coat Waste Project revealed that it funded controversial animal testing, including experiments on beagles.
The Daily Caller reported in August that the Biden administration was aware of NIAID’s alleged attempts to cover up these experiments.
This latest revelation about Fauci’s security funding adds to the growing discourse on how taxpayer dollars are allocated for security measures post-retirement, particularly for high-profile figures in government service.
The full extent of Fauci’s security costs and whether the protection could be extended in the future remains to be clarified.
