Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, announced plans to introduce a bill preventing federal bureaucrats from accepting cash rewards. This decision comes shortly after Hawley accused Dr. Anthony Fauci of receiving significant monetary prizes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Accusations Against Fauci
During a Senate hearing, Hawley alleged that Fauci exploited loopholes in federal laws that already ban government workers from seeking prizes. Hawley’s proposed bill, the No Cash Prizes for Bureaucrats Act, aims to address these loopholes. Hawley stated, “No federal bureaucrat should accept cash prizes while on the job. Fauci got rich while millions died. It can never happen again.”
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Hawley presented public records indicating that Fauci, while directing the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), requested at least eight monetary awards for himself, one of which was a $900,000 check.
Details of the Proposed Legislation
The new legislation intends to prevent federal employees from obtaining prizes related to medicine and research. It would also bar them from actively pursuing such awards. Moreover, this bill seeks to tighten federal regulations that stop National Institutes of Health officials from utilizing their or others’ official duties to seek rewards.
This proposal follows Hawley’s confrontation with Fauci during a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing. Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during this session.
Hawley’s Criticism and Allegations
Hawley challenged Fauci’s refusal to answer, stating, “It’s because you don’t want to answer questions. It’s because you did all kinds of terrible things. It’s because during the pandemic, you got rich while people were dying.” He accused Fauci of using taxpayer funds to solicit cash prizes for personal gain during the pandemic.
Further, Hawley cited internal emails from Fauci’s staff, which discussed nominations for awards like the Dan David Prize, revealing an effort to enhance Fauci’s nomination by providing extensive details about his pandemic efforts.
The Dan David Award offered a $900,000 prize, which Hawley claimed Fauci pursued using federal employees. He accused Fauci of employing government resources to seek eight more awards, including those from the Partnership for Public Service, the Adelson Prize, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Academy of Medicine, and the CDC Foundation.
In fact, you turned your staff into a full-time application machine,” Hawley said. “You actually wrote to people and said, ‘Do you think maybe I’d qualify?’
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events.
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