“Legal fees for defending yourself in one criminal case can be pricey — I can say that firsthand as a former trial lawyer. Now multiply that in former President Donald Trump’s case by two jurisdictions — New York state and federal court in Florida — totaling 74 felony charges against him.
And Trump may need representation in two other jurisdictions: in Washington, DC, where a federal grand jury deliberates on the special counsel’s investigation of efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and in Fulton County, Georgia, where prosecutors are probing alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results there after he lost.
Trump’s political action committee, Save America, has spent more than $40 million on legal fees since the start of 2023, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. The PAC also shelled out $16 million-plus on legal costs the previous year, Federal Election Commission records show. Trump’s team says the money is being used to defend the former president as well as some of his aides and allies.”1
“In addition to using campaign money to fund his legal defense costs, Trump’s team has also sold T-shirts with faux mug shots in the official online store. According to Variety, donors who contributed $47 or more to the campaign (a nod to Trump’s bid to become 47th President of the United States) would receive a free t-shirt with the image.”2
“Trump and his allies have consistently pushed supporters to donate to Save America, often using false claims about the 2020 election and soliciting donations to rebuke the multiple investigations into the former president, his business dealings and his actions on Jan. 6.
The Save America PAC has, in the past, reported taking in tens of millions of dollars and has helped cover legal bills for either Trump or his allies.”3
- CNN.com, Dean Obeidallah, July 30, 2023 – Opinion: Why are Trump’s donors paying for his legal fees?
- Yahoo! Finance, Dawn Allcot, July 31, 2023 – Who’s Paying Trump’s Legal Fees?
- ABC News, Olivia Rubin and John Santucci, July 31, 2023 – Trump team launching legal defense fund to help pay legal bills – Former President Donald Trump’s team is launching a legal defense fund.
