Mueller's Russia probe costs nearly 32 mln USD in total: Justice Dept.
Xinhua
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Mueller report AP.jpg

Robert Mueller (File photo: AP)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Former US special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into the alleged Russia meddling in the 2016 US elections cost nearly 32 million US dollars in total, according to a new filing released on Friday by the Justice Department.

In all, Mueller directly spent about 16 million dollars on his office over nearly two years of investigation. The total amount of the office of special counsel's expenditures for its final six months, from October through May this year, was 6.5 million dollars, according to the filing.

The majority of Mueller's overall costs came from paying his staff, the report showed.

Mueller's team included 19 lawyers supported by 40 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, along with intelligence analysts, forensic accountants and other staff, according to Attorney General William Barr's summary of the report from March.

The probe led to more than 100 criminal charges being filed against three Russian companies and 34 individuals, including half a dozen former Trump advisors, according to a CNBC report.

Mueller was appointed by the Justice Department in May 2017 to take over the Russia probe by the FBI. He concluded his work in March this year by submitting a 448-page, confidential report.

The public version of the report stated that there was no evidence that Trump's campaign conspired with the Russian government during the 2016 election but didn't conclude if the president had obstructed justice.

Russia has repeatedly denied meddling in the US elections.