Former US President Donald Trump is amid mounting lawsuits, his newest legal trouble includes him and his three children – Donald Jr, Ivanka, and Eric, who have allegedly lied about the value of their properties “by billions”.
On the other hand, a civil case by the New York attorney general Letitia James after a long-running investigation and a criminal one by the Manhattan D.A. are set to cost the former president millions. Meanwhile, Trump has vehemently denied any wrongdoings.
The millions of dollars to fight these lawsuits come from Trump’s ongoing political campaign Save America political action committee (PAC). It collects campaign donations from Trump supporters across the United States, said the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
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According to BBC, while it is unclear just how much money Trump has spent on these lawsuits, reportedly, in 2022 the Save America PAC has paid more than $1.12 to law firms for defending the former president. Meanwhile, Trump also has a “leadership PAC” which is used to pay expenses that are not covered by campaign committees including, personal travel and leadership expenses, said the report.
Notably, there is no mention of legal bills or any proof of what the money donated is being used for, on Save America’s Joint Fundraising Committee’s website. The joint fundraising platform contributes to both Save America and Make America Great Again PACs. However, the $1.12 million spent till now at least $942,000 has been paid to a New Jersey-based attorney Alina Habba’s firm, said BBC.
On the other hand, in July Alan Futerfas, the New York-based attorney reportedly received nearly $185,000 for representing Trump’s three children in the state’s fraud case against them. Meanwhile, in the Mar-a-Lago case, in August alone Trump spent more than $3.8 million in legal fees following the FBI raid on his Palm Beach estate in Florida. At least $3 million went to a nearby Florida firm, the media reported.
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The former president also faced lawsuits in Georgia when he illegally tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election result and of the $3.8 million, smaller amounts went to lawyers and used for other legal issues Trump is entangled in currently. Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee (RNC) or the Republican Party also has a hand in paying for Trump’s legal bills including the ongoing New York attorney general’s investigation.
According to a report by Politico, in late August, the RNC did not pay for lawsuits related to the Mar-a-Lago case and also threatened to stop paying legal fees if Trump were to formally announce his run for the upcoming presidential elections in 2024.
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However, Trump can continue to use these funds as these expenses often fall in the “grey area” which is left for the Electoral Commission to take a call on, Erin Chlopak, a campaign finance expert, told BBC. The commission decides if the expense is “personal” or if it would exist outside of a person’s status as a “candidate or officeholder, in which case the money can be used”.
Chlopak, also noted how there is a “real problem in campaign finance law,” where they have not only seen the use of campaign funds for legal bills but also they are blatantly used for personal expenses like “travel, dining out at expensive restaurants and staying in hotels.”
