Sure.
But how much did the Mueller investigation really cost? Fact checks conducted by
Politifact and
Roll Call said that Trump's $40 million figure was an exaggeration and not true in all likelihood.
According to Mueller's expense reports filed through September 30, 2018, the Russia investigation had
cost $25 million. Assuming that the costs incurred by the Mueller investigation stayed roughly on the same pace, the Mueller probe's final total is likely to be
$32 million to $35 million.
(For what it's worth, the Mueller investigation seems to have cost significantly less than other major investigations into U.S. presidents. The probes into the
Clintons and Reagan officials in the Iran-Contra scandal cost $70 million and $47.4 million, respectively, which equate to $98 million and $104 million in today's dollars, after adjusting for inflation.)
Twice as much, with nothing to show for it, as of 2019, when it was assessed, like doubled, when Trump and John Duram are through.
The Mueller investigation
charged 37 people and entities overall, including guilty pleas from Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen, Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
While it's unclear exactly how much money the Mueller investigation has brought back to the U.S. government, the probe may wind up breaking even or maybe even a profit. A month ago,
USA Today estimated that the special counsel's investigation had collected settlements worth $28.6 million — the vast majority of it from Manafort, who is being forced to give up millions of dollars worth of New York City real estate.
That could be an underestimate for how much money the Mueller investigation nets, however.
CNBC reported that the real estate and cash holdings Paul Manafort was forfeiting as part of his plea deal could be worth upwards of $42 million to $46 million once all of the properties are sold.
www.cnbc.com
