Report: Romney transition effort cost $8.9 million

Efforts to prepare for a potential presidential transition had Mitt Romney won November's election cost $8.9 million, with the former Republican presidential candidate hiring some 500 staff members to aid in a potential move to the White House.

According to documents obtained by Time Magazine, the design and construction of office space for the Romney staffers cost $2.5 million. The Romney team moved into multiple floors of the Mary E. Switzer federal building, just south of the National Mall, and spent $740,000 on office furniture and an additional $30,000 on office supplies. The Romney staff did not pay rent on their office space.

The transition team also purchased $5.6 million worth of computer equipment, cell phones, and communications furniture, although the General Services Administration says many of those technology purchases would be recycled by other government departments. 

The documents also revealed a 16 page "Memorandum of Understanding" that outlined the additional spending that would have occurred had Romney won election. In that memo, the GSA agreed to buy cell phones for Romney staffers, set up a secure computer network and e-mail addresses for the Romney team, and pay utility costs during the work day.

In 2008, the Obama transition team had a total budget of $12 million as they worked to prepare the Executive Branch for the president's inauguration.

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