An agreement between the Education Department and the Marshals Service governing Betsy DeVos' protective detail was just renewed for fiscal 2019, which began on Monday. | Matt Rourke/AP Photo Education DeVos’ security detail projected to cost up to $7.7M during the next year

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' security detail is projected to cost up to $7.74 million from now through the end of September 2019, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service told POLITICO on Tuesday night.

The Marshals Service said the final cost of protection for DeVos in fiscal 2018 was $6.79 million. That's more than the $6.54 million officials estimated last year as the maximum for fiscal 2018, which the Education Department at that time deemed a "high water mark" that the agency didn't plan to exceed.


An agreement between the Education Department and the Marshals Service governing DeVos' protective detail was just renewed for fiscal 2019, which began on Monday.

DeVos’ security detail is provided around the clock by the Marshals Service, which is highly unusual — the past four Education secretaries have been protected by the Education Department’s own small security force.

Her security detail, ordered by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, began in February 2017. The cost of DeVos’ protective detail between February 2017 and September 2017 was $5.28 million — about $2.5 million less than what was projected.

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Both agencies have tried to find cost savings, Education Department spokeswoman Liz Hill told POLITICO last year. For example, DeVos pays for the marshals to fly with her on her own private plane, which reduces travel costs, she said. DeVos foots the bill for all of her private and public travel.

The Marshals Service declined to disclose the number of employees protecting DeVos or the nature of the threats against DeVos.

The agreements signed by the Education Department and the U.S. Marshals Service includes salaries and benefits for the marshals, their travel and per diem expenses, one "leased and equipped limousine" for DeVos, and more, according to the first signed agreement.

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Betsy DeVos