Taxpayer Tab For DOJ's Trump-Takedown Broke $9 Million In First Four Months Alone
The tab for special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into former president Donald Trump exceeded $9 million in the first four months of the probe, according to DOJ records released on Friday.
Smith was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland on Nov. 18, 2022 to oversee the probe into Trump's retention of classified documents and possible obstruction of the investigation. From that date through March 31, 2023, Smith spent over $5.4 million on personnel, travel, rent and other costs. On top of that, an additional $3.8 million was provided by the DOJ when accounting for the labor of other offices involved in the investigation.
Current costs are likely far higher, as April - July of this year were not included in the tally.
"Although not legally required, DOJ components that support the [Smith special counsel office] were asked to track non-reimbursed expenditures attributable to this investigation, which includes hours worked by agents and investigative support analysts, as well as the cost of protective details for the Special Counsel when warranted," the DOJ report reads. "The expenditures for this period totaled $3,818,818."
Smith is also looking into "any person or entity unlawfully interfered in the transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election," or with the certification of the electoral votes around Jan. 6.
As the Epoch Times notes, the John Durham investigations into the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane probe cost around $1 million over the same period, while special counsel Robert Hur's probe into Biden's mishandling of classified documents has cost some $600,000. The Mueller probe, meanwhile, cost a total of $32 million at the end of the day.
So, for those keeping track, the investigations into Trump went all-out, while those against Biden have required far less taxpayer funds. Wonder why?
More via the Epoch Times;
Overall, Mr. Durham’s team spent about $9.4 million over several years, according to a filing, starting in late 2020 after then-Attorney General Bill Barr named him to head the investigation into the origins of the Trump–Russia probe and collusion narrative. His work ended in May after releasing a significant, 300-page report that faulted the FBI’s leadership for approving the investigation into Mr. Trump—although no charges were filed against any current employees at the FBI or DOJ and no one was fired.
That investigation netted one guilty plea from a former FBI lawyer who admitted to falsifying an email about a surveillance warrant for a former Trump aide. Mr. Durham’s prosecutions against a Democratic campaign lawyer, Michael Sussmann, and Igor Danchenko, who was used as a source for a controversial and widely discredited dossier, ended up in acquittals, respectively.
Last month, Mr. Smith presented charges against Mr. Trump that alleged the former president mishandled classified documents and make false statements to a grand jury, which indicted the 45th president. His office claimed that Mr. Trump misled federal officials in an attempt to allegedly hold on to sensitive material that he knew was not declassified.
In a court hearing in Miami, Mr. Trump entered a not guilty plea. On Truth Social and in public appearances since then, the former commander-in-chief claimed that the investigation is politically motivated and that Mr. Smith may even bear a personal animus against Mr. Trump and said it’s a naked attempt to harm his chances at winning the presidency in 2024.
A number of polls show that Mr. Trump is leading other GOP candidates by large margins. An average of polls shows Mr. Trump has 53 percent support, compared with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has about 20.9 percent, and No. 3 is former Vice President Mike Pence with 6.3 percent.
Mr. Smith’s office is also investigating Mr. Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach and his claims made after the 2020 presidential election. It’s not clear when either of those investigations will conclude.
Earlier this week, an aide to Mr. Trump, Walt Nauta, pleaded not guilty to charges that he helped the former president hide classified documents from federal authorities, appearing with a new Florida-based lawyer to represent him as the case moves forward. Mr. Nauta was charged alongside Mr. Trump in June in a 38-count indictment alleging the mishandling of classified documents.
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In June, Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 counts related to the classified documents case - the first time a former president has been federally indicted. The charges include 31 counts of alleged violation of the Espionage Act.
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