Senator Rand Paul Is Back On A Tear & He’s Not Backing Down
It has been discovered that a taxpayer-funded security detail is being used for recently retired NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci, leading to outrage from Sen. Rand Paul.
Documents obtained by Fox News host Jesse Watters' team from the U.S. Marshals Service show that the Marshals took over Fauci's security from the Department of Health & Human Services at the start of 2023. The documents indicate that Fauci receives perks such as limousine transportation.
This issue has also been broached by Paul, who sent a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in June, asking about Fauci's employment and special taxpayer-funded benefits. Paul said that the HHS responded by claiming that they were not directly paying for it, but that someone else was.
"HHS actually came back to us and said they haven't been paying for it since January. But then we discovered that Fox did a Freedom of Information Act and a judge forced them to say that, well, while HHS wasn't directly funding it, the U.S. Marshals were funding it," Paul said on Jesse Watters Primetime.
Paul added that this was a terrible example of the government lying to its representatives and to the people. He further stated his bewilderment as to why a retired official was getting such treatment when only former presidents receive this kind of service.
He went on to say that Fauci has a net worth that increased 30% during the pandemic and that Fauci should be able to pay his own security out of his own pocket without having to rely on taxpayers.
The strained relationship between Paul and Fauci has been public over the years. Fauci once declared that Paul had "no idea what he was talking about" when it came to his medical analysis of the coronavirus. Paul has also questioned Fauci about revising past testimony to Congress in the wake of new revelations.
Fauci, who concluded his 54-year career in the bureaucracy, has since been replaced at NIAID in an acting capacity by Dr. Hugh Auchincloss, an immunologist and father of Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass.
Paul says his office is seeking clarification from the agency about what kind of special treatment Fauci is receiving and why he is the only retired official who has such benefits.
It is unclear how long Fauci will receive the taxpayer-funded security benefits. However, the outrage from Paul and other lawmakers shows that they are determined to get to the bottom of this issue and determine who's footing the bill.