The claim that $10 million in US taxpayer dollars were spent on a 'memorial service' for a private citizen is misleading because available sources do not confirm such an expenditure for a memorial service; rather, large taxpayer funds have been spent on various other private-related expenses, but no credible evidence supports a $10 million memorial service for a private individual.
Misleading
$10 million US taxpayer dollars were spent on a “memorial service” for a private citizen.
Investigation Finds Millions in Taxpayer Dollars Goes to Confederate Memorials
Source: eji.org
At a glance
Verified September 22, 2025Key Evidence
Fauci reportedly received $15 million in taxpayer-funded security as a private citizen.
joemiller.usjoemiller.usFauci Received 15 Million Dollars In Taxpayer Funds For Private Security Detail,...
Trump-related expenditures include millions spent on golf trips and Secret Service protection at Trump properties.
theguardian.comtheguardian.comUS taxpayers have shelled out tens of millions of dollars for Trump’s golf trips...
citizensforethics.orgcitizensforethics.orgThe Secret Service spent nearly $2 million at Trump properties+1 more
Millions are spent maintaining Confederate memorials, but these are public historical sites, not private citizens' memorials.
eji.orgeji.orgInvestigation Finds Millions in Taxpayer Dollars Goes to Confederate Memorials
No source confirms any $10 million expenditure on a memorial service for a private individual.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
None of the provided sources directly support the claim that $10 million of taxpayer money was spent on a memorial service for a private citizen. Instead, the sources reveal several different contexts where large sums of taxpayer money were spent: security details for private individuals (e.g., Fauci's $15 million security detail), travel and golf trips involving former President Trump costing millions, and maintenance of Confederate memorials with millions in public funds.
One source mentions a $10 million donation related to Medicaid disputes, but this is unrelated to memorial services. Another source lists canceled expenditures including a $10 million project for medical circumcision in Mozambique, not a memorial service.
Therefore, while taxpayer funds have been used in ways that sometimes benefit private individuals or entities, there is no verified evidence that $10 million was spent specifically on a memorial service for a private citizen. The claim conflates or misrepresents different spending categories without direct proof.
Primary trail
Verified Sources10
Open source