Mueller’s Russia probe cost $32mn: Justice Department

Washington, Aug 3 (IANS) Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into the alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election cost nearly $32 million, according to a new filing released by the Justice Department.

In all, Mueller directly spent about 16 million dollars on his office over nearly two years of investigation, Xinhua news agency quoted the filing as saying on Friday.

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, according to the filing.

The majority of Mueller's overall costs came from paying his staff, it 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 advisors of President Donald Trump, 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 this March and submitted 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 the meddling accusations.