A state provides pension benefits to retired employees who have worked at least five years for the state. Based on employee salaries during $2022,$ the state actuary calculated that the employees earned pension benefits totaling $$17,500,000.$ The state appropriated $$12,500,000$ to the General Fund for payment to its Pension Trust Fund. However, the state encountered financial problems during $2022.$ It sent its pension system a check for $$10,000,000.$ in October $2022,$ saying that it would pay no more for the year. The Pension Trust Fund actually paid pension benefits of $$3,750,000$ during $2022.$

How much should the General Fund recognize as pension expenditures for $2022?$