Special Counsel Jack Smith’s two investigations into former President Donald Trump have cost taxpayers more than $23 million — while the Justice Department’s investigation into President Biden’s classified documents case has so far cost about $6.4 million.
The figures, disclosed in a DOJ spending report released Friday, include expenses by the respective special counsels between April 1, 2023 and September 30, 2023, as well as costs incurred by other Justice Department agencies related to the investigation.
Smith’s expense statements show the special counsel has spent more than $7.3 million on compensation and benefits for staff, travel, rent, supplies, printing and contracted services in the Trump investigation.
Other DOJ agencies have spent $7.2 million to assist Smith with his investigation of the 77-year-old former president, including by providing investigative support analysts and security details for the special counsel “as needed,” the report said.
The special counsel’s first spending report, released in July, showed that Smith and other DOJ agencies spent more than $9 million on the Trump investigation from November 18, 2022 to March 31, 2023, putting the total known to have been spent on his investigation at more than $23 million .
The expense report for the Trump investigation is more than $7.3 million and shows compensation and benefits for staff, travel, rent, supplies, printing along with contracted services. AP
Smith, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland last November, has led the investigation into Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and his alleged efforts to interfere with the results of the 2020 election. Grand juries in Florida and Washington, DC, have brought indictments against the former president results from both investigations.
In contrast to the Trump probe, the special counsel appointed last January to investigate the Biden classified documents scandal spent only $2.8 million between April 1, 2023 and September 30, 2023, another DOJ report released Friday showed.
Other DOJ agencies incurred about $2.4 million in additional expenses supporting Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into Biden.
Hur and agencies supporting the Biden investigation previously spent about $1.2 million between January 12, 2023 and March 31, 2023, bringing the total to about $6.4 million in taxpayer money used for the investigation.
The special counsel appointed last January to investigate the Biden classified documents scandal spent just $2.8 million between April 1, 2023 and September 30, 2023. SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
In November, CNN and the Wall Street Journal reported that Biden and his longtime aides may face harsh criticism but not criminal charges over the president’s retention of classified material from his days as a US senator from Delaware.
Hur’s team is reportedly preparing a lengthy report on the investigation that is expected to be sharply critical of the 80-year-old president and his staff’s handling of sensitive material, but is not expected to charge anyone over the matter.
Special counsel David Weiss, who is handling the DOJ’s Hunter Biden case, has spent about $183,000 since his appointment on Aug. 11 as special counsel, with additional DOJ expenses reaching about $132,000.
A DOJ investigation into Biden and his son Hunter has cost about $183,000 with additional expenses totaling $132,000. AP
Weiss had led the investigation into the eldest son for five years before being promoted to special counsel.
He has brought tax and gun charges against Hunter Biden in California and Delaware since his inauguration.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
