Feds Tally Cost of Mueller Inquiry So Far

$3.2M, plus $3.5M spent by other Justice Department agencies
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 5, 2017 11:53 AM CST
Cost of Mueller Inquiry So Far: $3.2M—or More
A 2013 photo of Robert Mueller.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

The cost of Robert Mueller's Russia inquiry is adding up. The Justice Department tallied up the cost of the special investigation in its first four months and reached a total of $6.7 million, reports the Washington Post. Some outlets, including Politico, are using a smaller figure of $3.2 million because of how the total was arrived at. The $3.2 million refers to the amount spent directly by Mueller's office. Another $3.5 million was spent by other Justice Department agencies on work that can be attributed to Mueller's investigation. However, the report noted that previous special counsels didn't include such expenses in their reports; for context, the Post notes that Kenneth Starr spent $52 million investigating Bill Clinton.

The breakdown of the $3.2 million figure, which covers the span from May 17 to Sept. 30:

  • $1.7 million on salaries
  • $733,00 for office equipment (which will remain government property)
  • $362,000 for rent and utilities
  • $224,000 for travel
  • $157,000 for contract services (tech and transcripts, for example)

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