Did Fauci really retire? Rand Paul demands employment status from Biden admin

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Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is demanding to know whether Dr. Anthony Fauci is still receiving a government salary or other government perks despite his 2022 announcement that he stepped down from his role leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

In a letter sent to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, his department’s Inspector General, and the current head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Paul asked for "additional information regarding Dr. Fauci’s employment status and receipt of taxpayer-funded benefits."

Paul noted that Fauci said in various media interviews late last year that he was "not retiring" but was going to the "next chapter" and "moving on from [his] current positions," which also included being President Biden’s chief medical advisor.

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, left, and Sen. Rand Paul frequently butted heads through the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by GREG NASH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images | Photographer: Greg Nash/The Hill/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"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," the senator added.

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A Capitol Hill source told Fox News Digital that the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, of which Paul is the top Republican, was meant to be notified whether Fauci’s security status ended at the end of his employment with the administration, or if it was extended somehow. The source said the panel has not heard anything from the administration six months after Fauci said he was done.

Sen. Rand Paul is now calling on Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, pictured here, to provide more information on Dr. Anthony Fauci's employment status. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Paul is now looking 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.

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"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."