Trump biographer raises questions about his wealth as campaign donors foot the bill for his many lawyers

Former President Donald Trumpā€™s PACs have spent about $50 million in donor money on his legal bills last year, sources told The New York Times.

The ā€œstaggering sumā€ spent by Trump on his legal fees and investigation-related expenses is about the same amount his lone remaining GOP primary opponent Nikki Haley raised across all her committees last year, the Timesā€™ Maggie Haberman and Shane Goldmacher write. Federal Election Commission filings this week are expected to detail the full extent of Trumpā€™s ā€œenormous financial strain,ā€ they added.

Trump, who has a penchant for relying on campaign donations to pay his lawyers if he actually pays them at all, has used his Save America PAC to cover his legal costs. When the PAC ran low on cash last year, Trump asked for an unusual refund of $60 million that had been transferred to the pro-Trump MAGA Inc. PAC. Trump has also been directing 10% of donations raised through Save America to a PAC that primarily pays his lawyers, according to the Times.

  • Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Letā€™s create a hypothetical candidate that has followed a blameless, honest (moneyless) path. His/her opponents decide to take that candidate down with frivolous lawsuits. How else can they be defended?

    • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Thatā€™s a SLAPP issue, not a campaign finance one, and a perfect example of why we need federal ant-SLAPP laws.

      • Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Agreed. Iā€™m just saying campaign finances could be one solution to SLAPP lawsuit problems.

        To be clear, Trumpā€™s are not SLAPP related.