Is Fauci Still Milking Taxpayer Money? Senator Rand Paul Demands Answers

Anthony Fauci is still receiving a government salary or other government perks.

This is despite Fauci's announcement in 2022 that he had stepped down from his role leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Paul seeks "additional information regarding Dr. Fauci's employment status and receipt of taxpayer-funded benefits." In his letter, Paul noted that Fauci had said in various media interviews late last year that he was "not retiring." Still, he was going to the "next chapter" and "moving on from [his] current positions," which also included being President Biden's chief medical advisor.

"While many interpreted these statements to mean Dr. Fauci would be ending his employment with the federal government in December 2022, it is not clear if that is in fact the case," Paul wrote. "This raises questions about Dr. Fauci's current employment status and whether he is still receiving certain taxpayer-funded benefits associated with active public service, such as legal counsel and protective services."

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Paul is the top Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which was meant to be notified whether Fauci's security status ended at the end of his administration employment or was extended somehow. However, the panel has not heard anything from the administration six months after Fauci said he was done.

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June 21, 2023

Paul is now seeking to find out whether Fauci is still affiliated with HHS, NIH, or other federal agencies and whether he is taking a salary at U.S. taxpayers' expense. The letter also asks whether Fauci still has access to non-public government facilities and if he is getting any legal or security services from the government.

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Paul had raised the issue earlier this year when he speculated to Sean Hannity that Fauci was using employment in the administration as a legal shield. "It is my belief that he is worried about being indicted, and so he continues to work, so he will get legal protection under the federal government," he said on television in late March. "This is wrong on every level of it, and we are going to get to the bottom of it."