The White House budget office is using millions of dollars from the former U.S. foreign aid agency to pay for the security of Russell Vought, President Donald Trump’s budget chief and architect of the government overhaul that eliminated thousands of federal jobs, according to three documents seen by Reuters.
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), led by Vought, is allocating $15 million of what’s left to cover the costs of his protection by the U.S. Marshals Service until the end of 2026, according to the documents.
A person familiar with the matter said Vought’s security is made up of more than a dozen federal marshals, which Reuters could not independently confirm. OMB did not make the budget chief available for an interview.
The Marshals Service did not comment specifically on Vought, saying it does not identify people under protection but that it “typically seeks reimbursement from the supported agency.”
Asked about the use of USAID resources, OMB spokeswoman Rachel Cauley said in an email: “We will continue to use available funds at the three agencies overseen by the director to protect him.”
She apparently was referring to OMB, USAID and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, of which Vought is the acting director.
Vought served as acting director for nearly 90 days last year before his deputy took over in November. He remains a senior adviser to the nearly defunct agency, according to one of the documents, which had not previously been released.
Cauley did not provide further details about Vought’s security costs, but did not dispute that agency resources are being used to pay for his US Marshals security team.
and canceled most of its aid programs last year, shifting responsibility for foreign assistance to the State Department. A skeleton crew of more than 100 employees and contractors is winding down USAID’s remaining contracts and is expected to close the 64-year-old agency’s doors for good in September.
One of the documents reviewed by Reuters said OMB signed an agreement with USAID last September 11 “to cover costs associated with the security of then-acting USAID Administrator Vought until November.” That amount — $1.6 million — came from what remained of the agency’s operating expenses, according to the document.
OMB has budgeted another $13.5 million in USAID resources to cover Vought’s security costs through the end of this year, “as they are related to his current role as a senior advisor to USAID,” the document states.
The Marshals Service typically protects federal courts, judges, and court staff. Asked about Vought, the Marshals Service said it “could provide protection to members of the executive branch facing threats or under the direction of the Attorney General.”
The person familiar with the matter said Vought had received serious threats, which she said were apparently linked to his role as lead author of Project 2025, the conservative plan that served as the basis for many of the Trump administration’s policies.
Reuters was unable to independently confirm the threats or whether they were related to Project 2025.
