The U.S. Marshals Service has been providing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos with round-the-clock security for almost two years, with an armed detail that could cost taxpayers $19.8 million through September 2018, figures provided by the agency show.
Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions agreed to the service on Feb. 13, 2017, days after DeVos was blocked from entering a public middle school in Washington. She had been confirmed as secretary a week before, on Feb. 7, reports NBC News.
The Justice Department said the detail was issued after the Department of Education contacted administration officials concerning threats DeVos had been receiving. The cost for security came to $5.3 million in fiscal year 2017 and another $6.8 million for FY 2018, with the cost estimated at $7.74 million for FY 2019.
In comparison, $3.5 million was spent for security for former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt before his resignation in July. According to an EPA inspector general's report released Sept. 4, the cost was deemed "not justified" as it was higher than the costs to protect other EPA administrators.
The Marshals Service confirmed that no other current cabinet member has been granted protection. The agency's spokeswoman, Nikki Credic-Barrett, declined comment about the nature of threats made against DeVos, and Education Department spokeswoman Liz Hill said the secretary did not personally ask for protection.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has announced plans recently to merge the Education and Labor Departments in order to slash costs, notes NBC. DeVos's staff earlier this week also denied reports that she plans to resign in January.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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