Mueller's Russia probe has cost $17 million to date

The special counsel's investigation into potential Russian interference in the 2016 election has cost nearly $17 million to date, since Robert Mueller was appointed to lead the probe in May of last year, according to new spending report released Thursday by the Justice Department.

By the numbers: $10 million was spent on expenses incurred between October 2017 through March of this year, detailing that $2.7 million was expended for salaries and benefits, $532,340 was expended for travel, and $264,114 was expended for contractual services. The department had previously said $6.7 million was used between May and September of last year. Mueller’s office told Politico in a statement that its spending was "within the approved budget."