On Tuesday, several senior leaders across the Department of Health and Human Services were put on leave, including the top scientist at the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, who replaced Dr. Anthony Fauci upon his retirement in 2023, was among the myriad of officials within the National Institutes of Health to be offered different positions in the public health apparatus.
Fauci was the public face of COVID-19 policy during both the Trump and Biden administrations and was accused of having a hand in covering up key evidence during the early stages of the pandemic. On his last day in office, former President Joe Biden gave Fauci a blanket pardon for any potential crimes committed concerning his job at the NIH since 2014.
Marrazzo, according to the New York Times, was offered a position in Alaska as a key official at the Indian Health Service, an agency that Kennedy has said is a top priority of his administration. However, Marrazzo reportedly chose to step away from government service entirely instead of taking the IHS position.