Hawley Introduces Bill to Ban Federal Employee Cash Prizes Following Fauci Accusations

Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley unveiled legislation Thursday designed to prohibit federal employees from accepting monetary prizes, following his direct attack on Dr. Anthony Fauci for what he characterized as accumulating more than $1 million in such awards during the coronavirus pandemic. The measure, formally titled the No Cash Prizes for Bureaucrats Act, would close existing loopholes in federal regulations governing employee compensation and incentives. “No federal bureaucrat should accept cash prizes while on the job,” Hawley stated in a message to Fox News Digital, adding that the former NIAID director “got rich while millions of people died.”

During a Wednesday hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Hawley presented documentation indicating that Fauci, in his capacity as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, enlisted staff members to pursue at least eight separate cash awards on his behalf. One award alone, which Hawley identified as the Dan David Prize, carried a $900,000 check. Hawley read aloud internal correspondence from Greg Folkers, identified as Fauci’s former chief of staff, discussing efforts to strengthen the pandemic-related components of Fauci’s award nomination.

The proposed legislation would prohibit federal workers from soliciting or receiving rewards connected to medical research and development, while simultaneously strengthening existing National Institutes of Health rules preventing officials from using work time or subordinates to pursue such honors. Fauci declined to respond directly to Hawley’s questions during the hearing, invoking Fifth Amendment protections more than 100 times. Hawley alleged that Fauci had directed government staff to assist in applying for additional prizes from organizations including the Partnership for Public Service, the Adelson Prize, and the Smithsonian Institution.