Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Investigations into Donald Trump Cost Taxpayers Over $50 Million
Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Donald Trump have likely cost US taxpayers more than $50 million, according to Department of Justice expenditure reports. The reports show that Smith’s office incurred costs of about $9.25 million from mid-November 2022 to March 2023, increasing to roughly $14.66 million for the next six months, and then spending around $11.84 million from October 2023 to March 2024.
These costs include direct and indirect expenses provided through various Department of Justice agencies. The estimated average of the three reported periods is roughly $12 million. When added to the numbers from the three reporting periods that have been publicly reported, the amount spent by Smith’s office since he was appointed rounds to about $47.5 million. However, this estimate does not include any expenditures from September 30, 2024, to date, so the total money spent is likely more than $50 million.
Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith in November 2022 to oversee the federal investigation into Trump’s alleged interference in the 2020 election and his improper handling of sensitive classified documents. After an exhaustive, nearly two-year investigation, Smith filed motions on Monday to dismiss the cases against the former president, citing procedural standards that preclude the prosecution of a sitting president.
The judge overseeing the election interference case agreed to drop the charges, while a decision on the classified documents case is still pending. Trump responded to the judge’s decision, calling the investigations “empty and lawless” and stating that they “should never have been brought.” He also criticized state prosecutors and district attorneys, saying they were using their positions to campaign against him.