# Did the Mueller Investigation make a profit?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-mueller-investigation-make-a-profit/845041>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 18, 2019, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-mueller-investigation-make-a-profit/845041 "2019-12-18T19:29:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-mueller-investigation-make-a-profit/845041/1 "2019-12-18T19:29:51Z")

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It is being claimed that it cost taxpayers money. But I have heard that seizures were substantial, from Manafort and perhaps other sources.

How do the costs of the investigation compare with purported seizures?

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**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-mueller-investigation-make-a-profit/845041/2 "2019-12-18T19:37:43Z")

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[This article](https://money.com/mueller-report-cost-waste-of-money-fines/) would suggest, the answer is not yet, but maybe in the future.

> [@](#):
>
> According to Mueller’s expense reports filed through September 30, 2018, the Russia investigation had cost $25 million. Assuming that the costs incurred by the Mueller investigation stayed roughly on the same pace, the Mueller probe’s final total is likely to be $32 million to $35 million.  
> …
> 
> A month ago, USA Today estimated that the special counsel’s investigation had collected settlements worth $28.6 million — the vast majority of it from Manafort, who is being forced to give up millions of dollars worth of New York City real estate. That could be an underestimate for how much money the Mueller investigation nets, however. CNBC reported that the real estate and cash holdings Paul Manafort was forfeiting as part of his plea deal could be worth upwards of $42 million to $46 million once all of the properties are sold.

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**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2019, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-mueller-investigation-make-a-profit/845041/3 "2019-12-19T02:12:49Z")

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It’s not entirely clear how much of the money collected from Manafort went to the government.

> **[Yes, the Mueller investigation is costly. But the millions seized from...](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/02/12/mueller-russia-investigation-costs/2736507002/)**
>
> Banks and the Trump Tower condo board have staked claims to the $26.7 million fortune Paul Manafort must give up after his Russia-probe convictions.

> [@](#):
>
> A handful of banks and the Trump Tower Residential Condominium Board have lined up to argue that they’re entitled to parts of the properties and investment accounts valued at about $26.7 million that the former Trump campaign chairman has been forced to give up as part of plea agreement with Mueller’s team.

Even if Mueller was able to seize assets, that doesn’t directly answer the question of whether the investigation made a profit.