A comparison worth considering. To date
Fitzgerald has spent:
In its first 15 months, the investigation cost $723,000, according to the Government Accountability Office.
In his "investigation," Ken Starr spent:
The figures show that Starr's office, through the end of November 1998, had spent $40,835,000. That includes $27,749,000 in direct expenses from independent counsel appropriations and $13,086,000 in unreimbursed expenses incurred by other government agencies.
Those figures do not include costs incurred by Starr's predecessor, Robert Fiske, whose office spent about $6 million before Starr was appointed to lead the investigation.
The GAO's most recent report issued last September showed Starr had spent $33.5 million through March 31st, 1998, after taking over for Fiske in 1994.
So, to be charitable to Starr, he spent about $10 million a year while, again to be charitable to Starr (counting 15 months as a year), Fitzgerald spent $700,000 a year.
Sure, Fitzgerald and his team are paid by the government but my gawd, $13 million in expenses not related to the lawyers' time? How much in fees? Tens of millions? Sheesh, Starr fleeced the Republicans if you think about it.
That's a lot of graft with nothing to show for it.