Cost of Mueller's probe likely to reach $35 million, Republicans demand investigation into money wasted
Special Counsel Robert Mueller's two-year investigation reportedly uncovered no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia but ran up an estimated $35 million in cost, prompting Republicans to demand a probe into the alleged waste of taxpayer funds.
President Donald Trump had previously called Mueller's probe a "witch-hunt" and had accused him of wasting $40 million in its investigation of his campaign's alleged collusion with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.
The special counsel was appointed in May 2017 to probe into Kremlin's alleged efforts to interfere in the general election.
Attorney General William Barr, on Sunday, delivered a four-page summary to the Congress, saying that the report found no evidence that the president's campaign "conspired or coordinated" with the Russians.
Time magazine, based on spending reported in three six month periods, which totaled to around $6.8 million, $10 million and $8.5 million respectively, estimated that the final cost of the investigation would come to around $35 million.
President Trump had put a higher estimate on the probe cost when he had tweeted about it last year in November: "When will this illegal Joseph McCarthy style Witch Hunt, one that has shattered so many innocent lives, ever end-or will it just go on forever? After wasting more than $40,000,000 (is that possible?), it has proven only one thing-there was NO Collusion with Russia. So Ridiculous!"
Republicans, who are outraged by the estimated cost of the investigation, are now demanding a probe into the alleged waste of taxpayer funds, daily Mail reports.
The Democrats, however, want the attorney general to release the full report.
A visibly joyous President Trump returned to the White House on Sunday, hours after his campaign was cleared of allegations of Russia collusion and addressed reporters waiting for his comment, saying: "I just want to tell you America is the greatest place on earth. The greatest place on earth."
The president and his supporters celebrated shortly after special counsel Robert Mueller submitted his report to Attorney General William Barr.
According to a senior Justice Department official, Mueller did not recommend any further indictments, in an indication that there may be no more criminal charges against Trump associates pertaining to the investigation. The special counsel, so far, has brought charges against 34 people and three companies throughout the probe.
A senior Trump administration official, while talking to the Daily Mail, said that the president is thrilled with the findings of Mueller's investigation. "I haven't seen him this happy in months. It's like election night again," the official said.
President Trump, even before the details of the report has been released, boasted of a "complete exoneration" regarding Mueller's probe of possible collusion between his campaign and Russia, and slammed the entire operation as "an illegal takedown that failed."
The Republican also added that he hopes "somebody is going to be looking at the other side."