$15 million in taxpayer money went to Dr. Anthony Fauci’s security detail

The government’s former top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, often maligned for supporting strict Covid isolation measures, was paid as much as $15 million in private security after his retirement from January 4, 2023 to September 20, 2024.

Dr. Fauci, who led the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases until his retirement in December 2022, had a government-funded driver and a dedicated security team of U.S. Marshals, according to Freedom of Information Act documents obtained by the independent journalist Jordan Schachtel and Open the books.

During this time, the same services also provided his personal protection while he was still a government official.

The former civil servant has been subject to death threats since the start of the pandemic and frequent public criticismwhich he and other officials believe deserve increased security.

When Dr. Fauci retired, he was the highest-paid public servant ever, with a record salary of $480,654. For comparison, the president’s salary is $400,000.

Since retiring, he has published a bestselling memoir about his career in public service, which spans from his work during the AIDS crisis in the 1990s to Covid-19 as of 2020. His book deal was secured for just under $5 million.

According to Open the Books, “Until at least the end of September, this agreement between the two government agencies has left American taxpayers on the hook for the costs associated with Dr. Fauci, including a publicly funded driver and a fully crewed man. U.S. Marshals Security Detail.”

Dr. Fauci said last year that his security detail was necessary because “I am a major target of the far-radical right in this country.”

The doctor has had a target on his back since the outbreak of Covid in March 2020.

Open the Books added: “It is unclear how unusual the agreement between Health and Human Services and the US Marshals Service may be. We could find no other cases where a former federal employee received this level of protection.”

His early missteps, including discouraging the use of masks only to reverse that about a month later, and his advocacy for draconian lockdown measures that shifted millions of children to virtual learning, have drawn widespread criticism and violent threats.

He added: “I get so many threats. Some of them are credible threats of violence… that I have to walk around with federal marshals protecting me, which is completely insane.”

At the time, the monthly cost of his security detail was $1 million in taxpayer money.

This is evident from a report obtained by CBS News In 60 Minutes, two former Trump administration national security advisers received Secret Service protection after leaving the White House due to possible threats from Iran. The total cost to taxpayers for the security details of both individuals was more than $12 million.

Fauci leaves the ABC studios accompanied by his U.S. Marshal security detail after appearing on “The View” Thursday. The marshal is clearly recognizable by his lapel pin

Fauci, who is worth an estimated $11 million, is constantly surrounded by US Marshals, whether he is at home or going to TV studios to film interviews.

His security forces began to be reduced in June, as death threats against him have barely abated.

In 2020, when he was more famous than ever, Fauci reported that he never answered the phone or left the door for security after months of threats.

He told PBS: “We don’t get any mail at home. You feel like you have to be constantly aware of possible danger.’

The report says it is unclear how unprecedented the scheme is, but notes that “no other cases could be found in which a former federal employee received this level of protection.”