You Asked For It

A comment by M.V.P. commenter EPT led me to this article in today's Wash. Po.:

This spring, Republicans and Democrats voiced outrage over the news that independent counsel David M. Barrett was still pursuing a decade-long, $21 million investigation into a crime long confessed and paid for. Without debate, the Senate unanimously agreed to strip Barrett of further funding for his inquiry on former housing secretary Henry G. Cisneros.

But, prodded by conservative commentators, House Republican leaders grew convinced that Democrats were trying to suppress embarrassing revelations about the Clinton administration. The Senate provision was ditched behind closed doors, and Barrett and his staff continue to work -- at a cost to taxpayers of nearly $2 million a year -- on an inquiry that seemingly ended 13 months ago.

...

It is not clear what Barrett's office is doing on a day-to-day basis, but the audit provided broad categories of expenditures. Barrett spent $464,009 on pay and benefits over six months; $24,014 on travel; $236,316 on rent, phone bills and utilities; $103,233 on contractors, mainly lawyers on retainer; and $74,178 on administrative services.

For those playing along at home, IC Barrett had only racked up 9 million at the time Cisneros pleaded guilty. But Cisneros paid $10,025 in fines, so we're only down $20,989,975.

So far.

The article also states that "Kenneth W. Starr's probe ... officially closed in March 2004." And I'd thought it had lost all functioning back in 2000.