Are you thinking about making a gift to Donald Trump's presidential campaign? If so, you might want to consider how your money could be used. In a widely reported story that originated with The New York Times (and was picked up by Yahoo! News, HuffPost, and other news outlets), the answer is this: At least some of your money is likely to go to paying legal fees, with perhaps little going to support Trump's election effort. That, reports say, is the downside to supporting a candidate who has a mountain of legal troubles.
The HuffPost headline -- "Donald Trump PACs Reportedly Spent $50 Million In Donor Funds On Legal Fees Last Year" -- pretty much tells the story. Writes reporter Nick Visser:
Former President Donald Trump spent about $50 million of donor funds on legal bills and expenses last year, a staggering sum following his indictments in four separate cases, according to The New York Times.
Multiple Trump super PACs have been paying the expenses after securing an initial fire hose of donations after his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Trump pushed unfounded and false claims of voter fraud to stoke his supporters to donate after his defeat, efforts that have since become key to two of the indictments he’s named in.
Save America, a Trump PAC that at one point had more than $100 million in the bank, nearly went broke last year amid the crushing legal expenses. The super PACs paid for attorneys for both the former president and for some of his aides who have been named in the indictments, including valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos de Oliveira. The pair were charged in the case involving Trump’s removal of classified documents from the White House and his retention of the papers despite government attempts to retrieve them.
The bills are still biting at Trump’s heels: The Times added that 10% of every dollar the former president raises from supporters is being directed to Save America, which mainly pays the legal fees.
JIn short, Trump's efforts on and around Jan. 6, 2021 -- along with other alleged actions that led to criminal indictments -- are coming back to bite him in the wallet. Writes Visser:
The exact figures the political groups paid out to attorneys last year will be reported on Wednesday as part of legally required filings to the Federal Election Commission.
The massive figure is emblematic of Trump’s legal woes as he campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination. Two of his trials are set to begin in March, which would leave him seesawing between the campaign trail and the courtroom, although the trials could soon both be delayed.
Trump’s last remaining serious Republican rival, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, used the report Tuesday to take a shot at her presidential competitor. Wrote Haley in a Tweet:
Another reason Donald Trump won’t debate me… His PAC spent 50 MILLION in campaign dollars on his legal fees. He can’t beat Joe Biden if he’s spending all his time and money on court cases and chaos.
Writes Visser:
On a personal front, Trump was ordered to pay $83.3 million to writer E. Jean Carroll last week for making defamatory statements about her. A civil fraud trial is also under way in New York over his business dealings, and a judge could decide how much both he and his company are required to pay. The state’s attorney general has asked for a penalty approaching $370 million.
The reports suggest Trump donors are stepping into a legal swamp, with strings attached everywhere. Can your money be put to better use? Only would-be donors can answer that question, but my guess would be "probably so."
Here is how the Above the Law website put it in a headline: "Trump Donors Are Just Subsidizing The Lawyers." Kathryn Rubino further writes;:
This is what happens when you're facing four criminal indictments and a bevy of civil legal woes.
In other words, Trump's bad choices have consequences. According to news reports, donors would be wise to think about that.
We will give Axios' Emma Loop the final word, under the headline "Trump campaign donors footed the bill for more than $50M in legal fees last year":
Former President Trump's political fundraising apparatus spent more than $50 million on legal costs last year as he faced a barrage of lawsuits and criminal charges in multiple jurisdictions.
Why it matters: The stunning new campaign finance reports reveal the financial damage the GOP presidential frontrunner has sustained while facing a colliding campaign and courtroom calendar.
- The mounting legal costs have drained large sums from Trump's campaign coffers as he gears up for what's expected to be another tight race against President Biden.
- Overall, Trump's fundraising brought in less than his campaign spent in 2023, Politico reported.
By the numbers: Trump's Save America PAC spent roughly $47 million on legal consulting last year, according to the group's latest financial report.
- That includes $25 million in the last six months of the year, the Federal Election Commission data shows.
- The PAC listed payments to an array of lawyers and firms, including Alina Habba, who has represented him in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case and New York civil fraud trial.
- Todd Blanche and John Lauro, who have represented Trump in criminal cases, are also listed.
Another Trump-affiliated group, the Make America Great Again PAC, spent roughly $4 million on legal services over the same six-month period.
Zoom out: Trump faces dozens of criminal charges at both the state and federal level, with two trials scheduled to start in March.
- In Georgia, he's a defendant in a sprawling racketeering case related to the 2020 election.
- At the federal level, he's been charged in two cases led by special counsel Jack Smith.
- The former president also faces charges in Manhattan over a 2016 hush money scheme.
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