Posted on 05/31/2018 5:14:41 PM PDT by BenLurkin
The special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election has cost nearly $17 million dollars so far, according to a new report from the Justice Department.
Robert Mueller's team of prosecutors and FBI special agents has spent by far the most money on covering salaries, followed by rent and information technology services, the statement of expenditures says.
The office has been operating for just over a year — since May 17, 2017, when Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller, the former FBI director. His task is to get to the bottom of Russian manipulation surrounding the election and whether there were any links or coordination with the Trump campaign.
Earlier this month, President Trump tweeted the probe was a "soon to be $20,000,000 Witch Hunt, composed of 13 Angry and Heavily Conflicted Democrats and two people who have worked for Obama for 8 years, STOP!"
Some of the attorneys working for Mueller have made campaign contributions to Democrats or have other such political connections. By law, Mueller is barred from considering political affiliation when hiring for career posts inside the Justice Department.
Special counsel lawyers have secured guilty pleas from Trump foreign policy aide George Papadopoulos, onetime national security adviser Michael Flynn, and deputy campaign manager Rick Gates and others.
Paul Manafort, Gates's former business partner, who also served as Trump campaign chairman for a stretch in 2016, is fighting conspiracy, tax and money laundering charges. Manafort faces trials in Virginia and Washington D.C. this year.
Manafort has pleaded not guilty. His attorneys point out that he has not been charged with alleged crimes that relate to election interference by the Russians.
On Wednesday, Manafort's longtime friends launched a legal defense fund for him after declaring he was struggling to pay his attorneys.
The special counsel team also has obtained indictments against 13 Russians for engaging in an information warfare campaign to help Trump and damage his political opponent, Hillary Clinton.
A waste of $17 million bucks. When is the stinking government going to shut this sham down!!!
Think of the children in Biafra we could feed with $20,000,000? How sad and mean spirited.
When the leaks start pouring out just before the mid terms Trump is going to be sorry he didn’t fire Rosenweasel a year ago.
Well, if that's true then those dawdling old worthless dogs are being payed WAY too much..!
Urinating away our hard-earned tax dollars.
Spit.
Fire the bastard !
Ok don’t
That’s what the
Media
Demoncats
Never trumpets
And other morons are wishing for
Better yet
Bash him in upcoming 18 ads !
I don't believe that was included in SC Mueller's costs. I believe he was paid through the FBI.
(BLUSH)
:):):)
Why would Mueller “release” the costs of his investigation? Could it be to further poison the well on this sham? So average citizens will turn against the Mueller probe? I believe this whole thing was concocted to deflect from the real investigations going on elsewhere. We’ll have to wait for the IG’s report and subsequent indictments to happen before we’ll know for sure.
What’s happening with the Clinton Foundation investigation? That’s where the real crimes reside.
Holy cow.
What has NPR given us only thing I can think of is ??????????????????????????oh yeah Mr useless on the FIVE.....you figure it out
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