Taxpayers have spent nearly $17 million on the Russia investigation since Special Counsel Robert Mueller was selected to head the probe last year, according to a new spending report published Thursday by the Justice Department, Fox News informed.
Around $10 million was spent between October and March, of which $4.5 million were spent by Mueller’s team and another $5.5 million spent by the Justice Department on other expenditures attributable to the investigations the document claims.
“The department will continue to dedicate and leverage resources to maintain strong program and financial management controls,” the DOJ said in the report. “Management takes its program and financial accountability seriously and is dedicated to ensuring that funds are used in a responsible and transparent manner.”
Mueller was selected as a special counsel in May 2017 by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Previously, the Justice Department stated that during the May-September 2017 period, the probe cost nearly $7 million.
That amount included $3.2 million in direct Special Counsel expenses and $3.5 million for other DOJ expenses, covering costs like agents working on raids or interviews and other government contractors.
The spending report also claimed that these expenses would “have incurred for the investigations irrespective of the existence” of Mueller’s investigation.
Earlier this month, President Trump lodged a complaint on Twitter about the money being spent on the “witch hunt.”
“At what point does this soon to be $20,000,000 Witch Hunt,” Trump tweeted.
Mueller is investigating Russia’s attempted meddling in the 2016 election, and whether there was any collusion with Trump campaign officials. The probe has also ensnared other Trump officials, like former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former campaign chairman Paul Manfort, over other issues.
Trump has constantly stated that there was “no collusion.”
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