Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election cost $8.5 million from April through September, bringing the total probe price tag to $25.2 million, according to a Justice Department report released Friday.
During the six-month span, expenses for the special counsel’s office neared $4.6 million, while Justice Department components supporting Mueller’s investigation cost $3.9 million, according to the report.
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The cost of compensation and benefits for Mueller’s team was roughly $2.9 million, which includes $1 million for employees of the special counsel’s office and $1.9 million for Justice Department employees working with Mueller. Rent, communications, and utilities cost taxpayers $942,000.
The special counsel’s office also shelled out $580,000 for travel and transportation from the beginning of April until the end of September.
Mueller was selected by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in May 2017 to lead the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Trump frequently derides Mueller’s investigation, calling it a “witch hunt” led by a group of “angry Democrats.” In a tweet last month, the president said the investigation was “wasting more than” $40 million.
But the investigation has so far cost taxpayers less than Trump claimed. From October 2017 through March 2018, the special counsel reported roughly $10 million in expenses, according to the Justice Department, and from mid-May 2017 through September 2017, the investigation cost $6.7 million.
