By Elizabeth Harrington • Washington Free Beacon
The special counsel investigation into the 2016 election has cost taxpayers over $25 million and counting.
Robert Mueller’s office released its latest expenditures spanning from April 1, 2018, through Sept. 30, 2018, finding the special counsel racked up over $8.4 million in five months.
The statement of expenditures reveals Mueller and his team of lawyers cost over $4.5 million for salaries and rent, and an additional $3.9 million in resources from the Department of Justice.
Personnel compensation and benefits cost taxpayers $2,886,270, including $1 million for special counsel office employees, and $1.9 million for Department of Justice employees who have been detailed to the investigation.
Between April and September, Mueller spent $580,098 on travel and transportation; $779 on “transportation of things”; $942,787 on rent and utilities; $15,618 on printing; $310,732 on contractual services; and $43,334 on supplies.
Expenditures reported by the Department of Justice that were attributable to the Russia investigation totaled $3,906,000. The total cost during the five-month period was $8,473,533.
President Trump has complained about the cost of the investigation to taxpayers before, decrying the probe as a “Witch Hunt, composed of 13 Angry and Heavily Conflicted Democrats.”
The investigation has now cost taxpayers $25,215,852.
Mueller and his team previously reported spending $6,759,695 from May 2017 to September 2017, and $9,982,624 from October 2017 through March 2018.