Trump Bashes $17M Spent on 'Russian Hoax Investigation'

President Donald Trump kicked off Friday tweeting with a scathing rebuke of the $17 million spent by the government so far on the "Russian hoax investigation."

The president was reacting to a Thursday report released by the special counsel's office that showed spending in the first year of about $17 million.

The DOJ report showed costs of  $10 million between October and March, on top of the $6.7 million spent on the probe the previous four months.

The Justice Department said a large portion of the costs, about $9 million, would have been spent regardless of the special counsel's appointment.

Special counsel Robert Mueller's office said its spending was "within the approved budget."

The Justice Department reportedly has budgeted $10 million for Mueller’s team to spend in the next fiscal year, beginning in October.

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