Merry Christmas, Tony: Fauci Loses Wildly Over-Priced Taxpayer-Funded Security for New Year

Anthony Fauci is entering the new year as one of the highest-paid former federal employees in the country.

However, his taxpayer-funded personal security detail is no longer part of that equation.

For the past two years, Fauci had been under the protection of the U.S. Marshals Service, but recent photos suggest he has transitioned to using private security. According to a Monday report from the U.K.’s Daily Mail, Fauci was spotted outside his Washington, D.C., home speaking with a member of what appears to be a private security team. He was also seen walking alone in his neighborhood.

Previously, Fauci was often accompanied by multiple U.S. Marshals, a security presence that extended to his promotional appearances for his memoir. This federally funded protection cost taxpayers $15 million between January 2023 and September 2024, based on a federal memo obtained by Open The Books.

With the expiration of this funding, Fauci now seems to be covering his own security expenses.

Financially, Fauci is well-positioned to do so. With an estimated net worth of $11 million, his D.C. home alone is valued at approximately $2.2 million, according to real estate listings cited by the Daily Mail. Additionally, Fauci continues to draw a substantial federal pension of $414,000 annually, surpassing the $400,000 salary of President Joe Biden.

This income leaves Fauci more than capable of funding his private security, should he choose to prioritize it.

Fauci’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic earned him considerable public ire, particularly after revelations about the NIH's funding of gain-of-function research, which has been linked to the origins of the crisis.

His desire for a security detail, however, may reveal a degree of personal vanity.

Unlike Fauci, sitting members of Congress and even Supreme Court justices—who hold significantly more prominent roles—do not receive such extensive protection.

Throughout his tenure, Fauci seemed to see himself as wielding near-absolute authority over public health policy, even when his directives were later discredited for lacking scientific validity. As he retires with millions in government-funded benefits, the public appears ready to reclaim the narrative.

At last, the taxpayer may be having the final say.