The special counsel leading the investigation into former President Donald Trump‘s classified documents case has spent over $9 million in taxpayer funds so far, according to new Justice Department disclosures.
The statement of expenditures released on Friday summarizes the financial activity of the special counsel’s office of Jack Smith for the period of Nov. 18, 2022, through March 31, 2023, amassing a total of $5,428,579, according to the five-page document. It also prompted about $3.8 million in spending by other DOJ agencies in the nearly four months after he was tapped to lead a two-pronged investigation into Trump.
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“The Department recognizes the importance of maintaining adequate internal control and is committed to the continuous improvement and oversight of financial management controls,” according to the document, which notes on Page 2 that the review “identified no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in the design or operation of SCO controls.”
Smith’s budget is broken down into seven main categories, including expenses related to “Personnel Compensation and Benefits,” travel, utilities, printing, contractual services, supplies, and “Acquisition of Equipment.”
Personnel compensation and benefits netted the largest sum of expenditures at $2,672,783, with the second-largest sum stemming from contractual services at $1,881,926.
“The Department will continue to dedicate and leverage resources to maintain strong program and financial management controls. Management takes its program and financial accountability seriously and is dedicated to ensuring that funds are used in a responsible and transparent manner,” the statement added.
The DOJ released the expenditure report on Friday for Robert Hur, who is the special counsel overseeing a separate investigation into classified documents found at President Joe Biden’s private property earlier this year.
From Jan. 12 to March 31, Hur spent a total of $615,962, a considerably smaller amount, albeit Trump’s investigation has stretched several months longer. His investigation also led other parts of the DOJ to spend around $572,000 — for a total of about $1.2 million to date.
Personal compensation for Biden’s investigation amassed to $346,139 during that time period, while “Rent, Communications, and Utilities” came in as the second-largest expense in that investigation at $225,954.
Smith was appointed as special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland to look into whether any person violated the law in connection with efforts to interfere with the lawful transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election or the certification of the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6, 2021.
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Trump is already facing 37 federal charges in connection to Smith’s separate prong of his investigation alleging the former president unlawfully retained classified documents at his Florida home after leaving the Oval Office, including 31 counts of willful retention of classified documents under the Espionage Act. He pleaded not guilty to those charges in federal court last month and the DOJ is asking for a trial to begin in December.
In Biden’s investigation, Hur is looking into matters related to possible unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or other records discovered at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement and the Wilmington, Delaware, private residence of the president.
