Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has reportedly told associates he will not reduce the budget for special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference, according to Bloomberg.
Although Whitaker said in July of last year an acting attorney would not have to fire Mueller, since they could simply cut "his budget to so low that his investigations grind to almost a halt," an unnamed source told Bloomberg that Whitaker has assured his associates he will allow Mueller to continue his work.
According to data released by the Justice Department in May, Mueller's investigation cost over $16 million in its first year, with the special counsel's direct spending accounting for $4.5 million, the rest coming from Department of Justice components supporting the investigation.
Although the government is at risk of a shutdown if a spending agreement is not reached in December, Mueller's investigation will not be affected, as its money comes from a permanent fund for independent counsel investigations as established in 1998.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.