Government officials say additional security detail for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos may cost up to $7.8 million through September.
The U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement Friday that a threat to DeVos’ safety was identified in February and she was put under additional protection. The statement did not provide details on the threat.
The Marshals Service says it will be reimbursed $7.78 million from the Education Department for services from February through September.
The department says that’s a projected, not a final figure. The move comes amid major budget cuts at the department.
The evaluation of DeVos’ safety took place in mid-February, shortly after a protester briefly blocked her from entering a public school in the nation’s capital.
Previous education secretaries were protected by department employees.