According to a recently released government report, special counsel Jack Smith’s extensive investigation into former President Donald Trump has incurred a cost of over $9 million in taxpayers’ dollars since his appointment last year. The Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed the following figures showing that Smith’s team has spent approximately $5.4 million on rent, personnel, and other expenses. In comparison, an additional $3.8 million in “component expenses” was accrued by other DOJ agencies over four months.
Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Jack Smith, a former Hague prosecutor, to oversee multiple investigations targeting the former president. However, Donald Trump has criticized Smith, characterizing him as a partisan actor working on behalf of the Democrats to undermine him.
According to the DOJ report, even though it wasn’t mandatory, the DOJ units assisting the Smith special counsel office were requested to monitor expenses that were not reimbursed but connected to the investigation. This includes tracking hours worked by agents and investigative support analysts and the cost of protective details for the Special Counsel when necessary. The report indicated that the expenditures for the specified period totaled $3,818,818.
Out of the total expenditure, approximately $2 million was allocated to federal employee salaries, around $1 million was spent on investigative support, and roughly $80,000 went towards assisting employees with relocation while working for Smith. The report covers expenses until March 31 of the current year.
During the same time, special counsel John Durham’s investigation into the origins of the controversial FBI Crossfire Hurricane probe cost approximately $1 million, while special counsel Robert Hur’s probe incurred around $600,000 in expenses. Notably, former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, which ultimately did not find evidence of Mr. Trump colluding with the Russian government, cost $32 million.
After Smith’s appointment, Attorney General Garland chose Mr. Hur to lead the investigation of handling classified documents discovered at President Joe Biden’s residence and personal office. The DOJ report showed that most of Hur’s expenses were dedicated to employee pay.
Back in 2020, former Attorney General Bill Barr selected Durham to conduct an investigation into the roots of the Trump-Russia investigation and the collusion story. Over several years, Durham’s team spent approximately $9.4 million on this investigation. Durham’s work concluded in May after releasing a comprehensive 300-page report criticizing the FBI’s leadership for approving the investigation into Mr. Trump. However, no charges were filed against current employees of the FBI or DOJ, and no one was terminated.
Durham’s investigation resulted in one guilty plea from a former FBI lawyer who admitted to falsifying an email related to a surveillance warrant for a former Trump aide. Prosecutions against a Democratic campaign lawyer, Michael Sussmann, and Igor Danchenko, who provided information for a controversial and widely discredited dossier, led to acquittals.
Last month, Jack Smith presented charges against Donald Trump, alleging that the former president mishandled classified documents and made false statements to a grand jury. The 45th president pleaded not guilty in a court hearing in Miami. Trump has publicly stated that the investigation is politically motivated and suggested that Smith may hold a personal grudge against him, claiming it is an attempt to harm his chances of winning the presidency in 2024.
Several polls indicate that Trump holds a significant lead over other GOP candidates, with an average of 53 percent support compared to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at approximately 20.9 percent and former Vice President Mike Pence at 6.3 percent.
Trump’s involvement in the January 6 Capitol breach and his claims after the 2020 election are also being investigated by Smith’s office. It remains unclear when these investigations will conclude.
Earlier this week, an aide to Trump, Walt Nauta, pleaded not guilty to charges of aiding the former president in hiding classified documents from federal authorities. As the case progressed, he appeared in court with a new lawyer based in Florida. Nauta was indicted alongside Trump on 38 counts related to the mishandling of classified documents in June.
Nauta has faced delays with his arraignment due to challenges in finding a Florida-licensed lawyer and travel complications. However, he has now hired Sasha Dadan, a criminal defense attorney and former public defender, to serve as his main legal representative. Dadan appeared in court with Nauta, along with his Washington lawyer, Stanley Woodward, who entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf.