Official Statement:

By order of the Attorney General, the U.S. Marshals Service started providing a protective detail for U.S. Secretary of Education Elisabeth “Betsy” DeVos on Feb. 13, 2017. USMS regularly conducts threat assessments on Ms. DeVos to determine threats to the secretary’s safety. A signed Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Marshals Service exists for protective services for Ms. DeVos. The purpose of the MOU is to establish roles, responsibilities and terms between the agencies to monitor and mitigate threats against the secretary. The MOU is valid up to four years, subject to the availability of funds and current threat assessments, but can be terminated by either agency with a 60-day notice. A new reimbursement agreement for Fiscal Year 2020 was executed between the agencies for $7.87 million through Sept. 30, 2020. The number of USMS personnel assigned to the detail is commensurate with the existing threat and based on USMS protective service requirements, experience and methodology. For reasons of operational security, we will not disclose the number of employees providing protection or the nature of threats against the secretary.

Additional information:

• A reimbursement agreement has been executed between the agencies for $7.87 million for FY 2020, beginning October 1, 2019.

• The final RA amount was $6.79 million, through September 30, 2018 (end of FY 2018).

• The final RA amount was $6.24 million, through September 30, 2019 (end of FY 2019).

• The new RA was adjusted primarily for cost of living increases and anticipated increases in travel and per diem costs.