Sally Reed
As Donald Trump’s legal fees mount across numerous criminal and civil cases, the former president is on track to exhaust his main source of funding for his high-priced attorneys by this summer. With Trump’s PAC projected to be depleted of funds just as his 2024 presidential campaign ramps up spending, the GOP frontrunner faces difficult choices about how to keep financing his legal defense.
This predicament highlights how Trump’s ballooning legal bills are becoming an increasing drag on his political ambitions.
Trump’s Staggering Legal Bills Top $50 Million in 2023
Donald Trump has incurred legal expenses of over $50 million in 2023 to defend himself in various civil and criminal lawsuits. According to Federal Election Commission filings, Trump’s political action committees (PACs) spent $52.4 million on legal fees last year.
Nearly $40 million of that amount was spent on law firms working on cases unrelated to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. Instead, the funds were used to pay for Trump’s legal troubles involving his real estate business and family members.
Depleting Donor Funds
The money for Trump’s legal bills came from small-dollar donors contributing to his Save America PAC and Make America Great Again PAC. Together, the two PACs raised $64.6 million in 2022 but spent $71.4 million, depleting their available funds-the spending on legal fees made up the vast majority of the PACs’ disbursements last year.
At the current rate of spending, Trump’s PAC funds for legal expenses are projected to run out by July 2024, right as his presidential campaign ramps up spending for the general election. With his PAC funds dwindling, Trump has few good options left to pay his substantial legal bills.
Draining PAC Funds to Pay Criminal Defense Lawyers
In order to pay his mounting legal bills, Donald Trump has relied heavily on donor funds from two political action committees (PACs) that he controls: Save America PAC and Make America Great Again PAC. According to Federal Election Commission filings, these two PACs spent $71,433,368 on disbursements in 2023, the vast majority of which went toward legal services.
Nearly $40 million of the $52.4 million in donor money was spent on law firms working on cases unrelated to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. Instead, these funds were used to pay for Trump’s legal matters involving his real estate business and family members.
Options for Funding Legal Fees Running Out
The former president faces limited choices to continue financing his legal defense as funds from his leadership political action committee (PAC) and super PAC dwindle. According to recent filings, Trump has spent over $50 million of donor funds on legal fees in 2023 alone across four criminal cases and multiple civil lawsuits.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) presents another option to fund legal fees, though diverting funds from the RNC may impact its ability to support Republican candidates in the 2024 election. The RNC can accept larger donations than leadership PACs, with individuals able to contribute up to $123,900 specifically for legal expenses.
Relying on Leadership PAC Loophole to Pay Lawyers
To finance his substantial legal expenses, Trump has exploited provisions in campaign finance laws allowing leadership PACs to pay for non-campaign-related activities. According to FEC filings, Trump’s leadership PAC Save America paid over $40 million to law firms in 2023, covering legal fees unrelated to his 2024 campaign.
The vast majority of Save America’s funds come from small-dollar donors responding to Trump’s cries of “witch hunt” as prosecutors pursued criminal cases against him. While donors likely believed they were supporting Trump’s political ambitions, in reality, over 70% of Save America’s spending went to pay lawyers working on Trump’s legal issues, including cases involving his real estate company and family members.
How Save America PAC Covered Tens of Millions in Legal Costs
To generate funds for these substantial legal bills, Save America PAC relied heavily on refunds of money it had previously transferred to Make America Great Again PAC, the super PAC supporting Trump’s election bid. MAGA PAC, which can raise unlimited donations, utilized 71 cents of every dollar it raised in 2023 to assist Trump in paying his attorneys.
These funds came from affluent donors such as investor Timothy Mellon, Crownquest Operating LLC’s Timothy Dunn, and Home Depot Inc. co-founder Bernie Marcus. MAGA PAC is authorized to refund an additional $26.6 million to Save America PAC but cannot transfer any more money after that point.
Super PAC Refunds Only Source Left for Legal Fees
Once MAGA Inc. exhausts this amount, Save America will have few options left to finance Trump’s legal defense. Trump’s campaign and allied groups spent $13.6 million more than they raised in 2023 due to legal fees, diminishing Save America’s funds.
Seventy-one cents of each dollar MAGA Inc. raised in 2023 went toward Trump’s legal bills. If Save America’s funds are depleted, Trump may compel the Republican National Committee (RNC) to pay for his legal defense. However, the RNC also faces financial difficulties and would have less money available to support Republican candidates if paying Trump’s legal bills.
Deep-Pocketed Donors Foot Trump’s Legal Bills
Donald Trump has relied heavily on contributions from wealthy donors to fund his extensive legal expenses. According to campaign finance disclosures, two political action committees controlled by Trump – Save America PAC and Make America Great Again PAC – spent over $52 million on legal fees in 2023.
The former president has tapped into a network of affluent supporters to pay lawyers defending him in various civil lawsuits involving his real estate business and close family members. Major donors include investor Timothy Mellon, Timothy Dunn of Crownquest Operating LLC, and Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus.
When Will Trump’s Legal Funds Run Out? The Countdown Is On
According to legal experts, Donald Trump’s legal defense funds are projected to be depleted by July 2024, leaving the former president in a precarious financial position just as his campaign for the 2024 election is intensifying.
However, with four ongoing legal proceedings ramping up over the summer, these funds are expected to be exhausted within months. With few appealing options left to finance his legal defense, Trump may have to compel the Republican National Committee to allocate funds for his legal bills, diverting critical resources away from election campaigns nationwide.
What’s Next for Trump?
Trump’s mounting legal fees present a significant challenge as the 2024 presidential election approaches. With the Republican National Convention just months away, his war chest for legal expenses is expected to be depleted by July. This leaves him with difficult choices – compel the cash-strapped RNC to cover his bills, further tap small donors to his leadership PAC, or drastically reduce his legal representation.
The fundraising drag from these unprecedented legal costs may hamper Trump’s ability to vigorously contest the general election at a pivotal moment in the race. Absent an unforeseen shift, Trump appears poised to enter the final months of the campaign at a distinct financial disadvantage relative to the incumbent he hopes to unseat.
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