According to reports from the Washington Post, taxpayers have footed a bill of more than $23 million for the Justice Department’s investigations into President Trump, his associates and personal businesses since 2017, while a probe into Hunter Biden’s taxes has only cost $6.4 million.
The Post reported that DOJ’s two most expensive inquires were the Russia investigation, at a cost of $16.7 million and the examination of the president’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, costing $3.3 million. The inquiry into Hunter Biden’s taxes cost a much smaller amount, coming in at $6.5 million.
The costs for the Russia investigation stem from the investigation conducted by the Special Counsel Robert Mueller, expenses associated with the ongoing review by John Durham and other prosecutors, as well as some expenses associated with witnesses, document reviews and whistleblower reports. The inquiry into Cohen included money spent on reviewing documents seized by the FBI, as well as an FBI investigation that led to charges against Cohen.
The investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes has taken place at a much smaller scale, as the probe is largely focused on a single financial arrangement and is not related to a broader investigation like with the Russia probe. The inquiry is reportedly focused on the financial arrangements between Hunter Biden and Ukrainian energy company Burisma, as well as possible violations of money laundering and tax laws.
Overall, taxpayers have footed a much larger bill for the DOJ’s investigations into President Trump and his associates compared to the investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes.
