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As Inquiries Compound, Justice System Pours Resources Into Scrutinizing Trump

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Summary

Jack Smith, the special counsel appointed to investigate former President Donald J. Trump, is employing 40 to 60 career prosecutors, paralegals, and support staff, and has incurred expenses of $9.2 million in his first four months on the job. The Justice Department is expending disproportionate time and energy to hold Mr. Trump and his allies to account, including the effort to prosecute those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which is the largest investigation in its history. While other criminal and civil efforts are being brought, these efforts do not appear to be siphoning resources that would otherwise be used to combat crime or undertake other investigations. The Justice Department is a sprawling organization with an annual budget of $40 billion, and it has more than enough staff to absorb the diversion of key prosecutors. The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, which has brought more than 1,000 cases against Jan. 6 rioters, initially struggled to manage the mountain of evidence, but created an internal information management system to organize it. The F.B.I. has not publicly disclosed the number of agents specifically assigned to the investigations into Mr. Trump, but people familiar with the situation have said it is substantial but comparatively smaller than the Jan. 6 investigation.

Q&As

What resources is the Justice System pouring into scrutinizing Trump?
The Justice System is pouring resources such as 40 to 60 career prosecutors, paralegals, support staff, FBI agents, and technical specialists into scrutinizing Trump.

How much has the special counsel's investigation into Trump incurred in expenses?
The special counsel's investigation into Trump has incurred expenses of $9.2 million.

How have Republicans reacted to the scale of the federal investigation of Trump and his associates?
Republicans have made the scale of the federal investigation of Trump and his associates an issue in itself and have suggested they might block the reauthorization of a warrantless surveillance program used to investigate several people suspected of involvement in the Jan. 6 breach or oppose funding for the FBI's new headquarters.

What impact have the Trump-related prosecutions had on the Justice Department's ability to carry out their regular duties?
The Trump-related prosecutions have not significantly constrained the ability of prosecutors to carry out their regular duties.

How much are the New York and Georgia prosecutors spending on their investigations into Trump?
The authorities in Fulton County, Georgia are spending about 10 of its 370 employees to the elections case, including prosecutors, investigators and legal assistants. In Manhattan, the number of assistant district attorneys assigned to the case is in the single digits.

AI Comments

👍 This well-researched and comprehensive article provides a detailed analysis of the resources being poured into the criminal investigations into former President Donald J. Trump. It is an important article that sheds light into the complexity of the investigations and the efforts being made to hold Mr. Trump and his allies to account.

👎 The investigations into former President Donald J. Trump have forced the Justice Department to incur a significant expense of $25 million a year and have caused the reallocation of resources that could have gone to fighting street crime. This has been damaging to the department and the public safety of the nation.

AI Discussion

Me: It's an analysis of the resources and costs being put into investigating Donald Trump and his associates. It looks at the scale of the investigation, the costs incurred, and how the investigation is affecting the Justice Department.

Friend: Wow, that's a lot to take in. What are the implications of this article?

Me: Well, the article highlights the unprecedented scope of the investigation and how it is diverting resources away from other investigations. It also explains how the investigation has been costly, both in terms of money spent and the damage inflicted by attacks on the Justice Department. Furthermore, the article shows how the investigation has been politicized, with Republicans trying to block or reduce funding for the investigation. In conclusion, this article shows that the investigation into Trump and his associates is having a significant impact on the Justice Department and the US justice system as a whole.

Action items

Research the current status of the investigations into former President Donald J. Trump and his allies.
Follow the news for updates on the investigations and prosecutions related to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
Consider the implications of the “Trump tax” on the Justice Department and the resources it has to combat crime and undertake other investigations.

Technical terms

Special Counsel: A lawyer appointed by the government to investigate and prosecute a particular case.
Indictment: A formal accusation of a serious crime, issued by a grand jury.
U.S. Marshals Service: A federal law enforcement agency responsible for protecting federal courts and transporting prisoners.
F.B.I.: The Federal Bureau of Investigation, a federal law enforcement agency.
U.S. Attorney's Office: A federal prosecutor's office responsible for prosecuting federal crimes.
Fulton County: A county in Georgia.
Jan. 6: The date of the attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.
Electoral College: The body of electors who formally elect the President and Vice President of the United States.
Counterintelligence Division: A division of the FBI responsible for investigating espionage and other threats to national security.
Financial Crimes Unit: A unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office responsible for investigating and prosecuting financial crimes.
Discovery Evidence: Evidence gathered in a criminal investigation.
Federal Defenders' Office: An office that provides legal representation to indigent defendants in federal criminal cases.
Semiannual Reports: Reports filed twice a year.