Liberal Forum

Betsy DeVos' security detail could cost up to $6.54M over the next year.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' security detail could cost up to $6.54 million from now through the end of September 2018, an Education Department official told POLITICO on Monday.

That projected cost is seen as a "high water mark" that the agency doesn't plan to exceed, said spokeswoman Liz Hill.

An agreement governing DeVos' protective detail — which is provided around the clock by the U.S. Marshals Service — was just renewed for fiscal 2018, which began on Saturday.

The Education Department paid the marshals $5.28 million for her protective detail from February through September of this year — about $2.5 million less than what was projected.

That's because both agencies were able to find cost savings, Hill said.

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 the plane.

It's extremely unusual for the Education secretary to be protected by marshals — the past four Education secretaries have been protected by the Education Department’s own small security force.