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Independent Counsel Expenditures to September 30, 1997


Independent Counsels Active since 1994 Reauthorization of the Law

In 1993, as Congress debated renewing the Independent Counsel statute, the director of the Congressional Budget Office predicted that reauthorization of the law would result in costs of approximately $2 million annually. The CBO obviously could not foresee that five independent counsel investigations would emerge following reauthorization, costing more than $53 million to date.

Under the current law, Independent Counsels are required to file expense reports and submit to General Accounting Office audits every six months. The following table shows the results of the latest three GAO audits of independent counsel expenditures, a previous GAO total of each counsel's expenditures through 31 March 1996, and a grand total. See notes below for further explanation.

*Counsel that include 9/99 amounts have had their grand totals updated through the March 2000 report, which reported expenditures through September 30, 1999

Barrett$12,012,116
6 Month Total - 9/99$1,632,114
6 Month Total - 3/99$1,579,503
6 Month Total - 9/98$1,187,785
Other Costs - 9/98$241,417
6 Month Total - 9/97$1,290,759
Other Costs - 9/97$355,747
6 Month Total - 3/97$1,307,411
Other Costs - 3/97$356,509
6 Month Total - 9/96$1,025,599
Other Costs - 9/96$229,489
Grand Total$12,012,116

Pearson$3,258,536
6 Month Total - 9/97$10,372
6 Month Total - 3/97$565,397
6 Month Total - 9/96$1,115,777
Other Costs - 9/96$229,990
Grand Total$3,258,536

Smaltz$22,173,555
6 Month Total - 9/99$1,093,401
6 Month Total - 3/99$1,670,134
6 Month Total - 9/98$1,540,132
Other Costs - 9/98$263,191
6 Month Total - 9/97$2,525,388
Other Costs - 9/97$426,662
6 Month Total - 3/97$2,690,557
Other Costs - 3/97$495,369
6 Month Total - 9/96$2,323,256
Other Costs - 9/96$502,754
Grand Total$22,173,555

Starr$52,344,649
6 Month Total - 9/99$5,303,206
6 Month Total - 3/99$5,684,314
6 Month Total - 9/98$5,236,824
Other Costs - 9/98$1,008,758
6 Month Total - 9/97$3,414,535
Other Costs - 9/97$553,353
6 Month Total - 3/97$2,825,2641
Other Costs - 3/97$507,199
6 Month Total - 9/96$3,994,622
Other Costs - 9/96$1,055,003
Grand Total$52,344,649

Von Kann$244,822
6 Month Total - 9/97$196,038
6 Month Total - 3/97$48,784
Grand Total$244,822

diGenova/Zeldin*$3,458,205
Other Costs - 9/97$223,000
6 Month Total - 3/97$2,328
Other Costs - 3/97$369,123
6 Month Total - 9/96$111,754
Previous GAO Total$2,752,000
Grand Total$3,458,205

Adams/Thompson*$27,597,009
6 Month Total - 9/97$532,360
6 Month Total - 3/97$622,000
6 Month Total - 9/96$661,885
Other Costs - 9/96$19,764
Previous GAO Total$25,761,000
Grand Total$27,597,009

McKay$2,796,000
Morrison$2,141,000
Seymour$1,552,000
Silverman$7,000
Walsh$48,490,000
Sealed 1989$15,000
Sealed 1991$93,000
Fiske$6,073,000
Harper$50,000
Lancaster, Jr.$3,096,375
Bruce$5,638,307

Some costs have been updated with the March 2000, September 1999, and March 1999 reports to give an indication of ongoing costs. Information is not complete.
Starr's expenditures do not include the $6,073,000 spent by his Whitewater predecessor Robert Fiske.
"Other costs" includes estimated unreimbursed costs to agencies such as the FBI and IRS for support work, and, in some cases, reimbursement for unindicted targets' legal fees.

*The Adams/Thompson investigation into HUD corruption began in March 1990, and the diGenova/Zeldin Clinton passport file probe began in Dec. 1992.

Some figures have been rounded slightly.


Sources: GAO Financial Audits of Expenditures by Independent Counsels: GAO/AIMD-97-24R; GAO/AIMD-97-64; GAO/AIMD-97-164; GAO/98-100; GAO/AIMD-00-120; GAO/AIMD-99-292; GAO/AIMD-99-105

 
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