Jack Smith has spent almost $9 Million so far leading two investigations of former President Trump. A Justice Department expenditure report released Friday details the costs incurred for salaries, litigation support services and litigation support provided to his office.
Total expenses incurred include those from other DOJ components assisting Smith’s investigation of Trump’s efforts to overthrow the 2020 elections and his handling of classified documents, both allegations he is facing with.
What Is Jack Smith Trying to Find?
After retiring from The Hague International Criminal Court and prosecuting war crimes cases, Jack Smith joined the US attorney’s office for New York’s eastern district to handle violent gang murders of police officers as well as white-collar fraud investigations. Later on he headed the Justice Department’s public integrity section until taking on his current special counsel role overseeing two investigations against former President Trump.
Smith’s team spent an estimated $5.4 million over several months to investigate election interference and mishandling of classified documents, according to Justice Department statements of expenditures released Friday. Additionally, Hur, who is looking into Biden’s handling of classified materials has spent about half as much.
Smith recently made it clear in a brief to the Supreme Court that public interest demands swift decisions on whether Donald Trump commits conspiracies and obstruction of justice charges, without further delays. Unfortunately, however, they decided not to overrule a federal appeals court decision that has kept this matter on hold for now.
What Is He Trying to Do?
Special Counsel Jack Smith has spent almost $9 million since being appointed last year as part of a Justice Department report, according to costs estimated by other parts of the agency. These expenses include personnel costs ($5.4 million in personnel costs alone and rent), rent payments and related costs totaling roughly 3.8 million total).
Smith, an ex-war crimes prosecutor, spent most of his money on salaries for lawyers and employees on his team as well as contracting investigative and litigation support services.
One of the key strategies he is employing against Trump is a legal maneuver which would enable him to bypass federal appeals courts and go directly to the Supreme Court on an important issue. Should that court rule that sitting presidents cannot be charged with acting upon orders given them while in office, this would remove one major impediment to his case against the president.
High-Profile Cases
Smith previously worked in the US Attorney’s office of Brooklyn where he prosecuted violent gangs and white-collar fraudsters. Additionally, he handled high-profile cases such as Abner Louima’s beating by New York City police with a broomstick.
Justice Department expenditures on Trump investigations increased dramatically following Smith’s hiring in November, and Friday saw his first public accounting of expenses released publicly revealing he has spent $5.4 million so far on staff compensation and other costs through March 31. Other DOJ entities also contributed $3.8 million towards these probes which include efforts to overturn 2020 election and mishandling classified documents by Trump and former aide Walt Nauta.
That figure exceeds both special counsel Robert Mueller’s two-year investigation of Trump, as well as other Department of Justice expenditures on other investigations not made public yet. Smith has been subjected to threats and is protected by a security detail.
Violent Gangs and White-Collar Fraudsters
Smith has provided briefs to the Supreme Court urging it to move quickly with the Washington case, suggesting the elephant in the room: that there is compelling public interest in swiftly settling charges that an incumbent president sought to disenfranchise millions, ignite violent riots and subvert transfer of power upon winning office.
Former Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Eric Schneiderman has spent decades pursuing violent gangs and white-collar fraudsters, but working on the high-profile Abner Louima case provided him with an insight into how complex federal litigation cases can become.
Since being appointed in November to lead investigations of Donald Trump’s mishandling of classified information, Smith’s investigative team has amassed expenses totaling approximately $9 Million according to Justice Department statements of expenditures released Friday. This total includes compensation and benefits for staff, travel costs, rent payments and “protective details when warranted”. However, unlike traditional DOJ cases this investigation represents unique costs that cannot be covered with government funding alone.
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