Donald Trump's committee apparently dropped millions to pay his legal fees

Palm Beach, Florida - Save America, a political action committee (PAC) that represents Donald Trump, has reportedly paid millions in legal fees for the former president.

A political action committee that represents Donald Trump named Save America reportedly dropped millions of dollars on his legal fees in 2022.
A political action committee that represents Donald Trump named Save America reportedly dropped millions of dollars on his legal fees in 2022.  © Collage: IMAGO / MediaPunch

Filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission and recently obtained by The New York Times reveal that the PAC paid about $10 million for Trump's legal representation in 2021 and 2022.

The fees are a portion of more than $16 million the PAC spent on legal-related expenses in both years, some of which was used to pay for representation for Trump's allies that served as witnesses in various cases.

The fees paid to help Trump amounted to nearly 20% of the money the PAC raised in total.

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Save America was founded near the end of 2020 with the intent of fighting for election integrity. The group raised nearly $72 billion over the course of its first two years, and reportedly has nearly $18 million left to spend.

Trump has been entrenched in numerous legal battles including a probe by officials in Georgia investigating his alleged role in trying to overturn the state's 2020 presidential election results, and a defamation suit by writer E. Jean Carroll who claims the former president raped her years ago.

The PAC has shelled out millions to lawyers involved in those cases, and many others, raising questions about whether it breaches campaign finance laws or not.

Is Donald Trump and his PAC Save America breaking any laws?

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Donald Trump in the middle of his famous "fist pump" dance during a rally in Richfield, Ohio on March 29, 2018.  © IMAGO / UPI Photo

The big question on the minds of many is whether Trump and his PAC's use of the money is in any way illegal.

According to Open Secrets, an organization that follows money in politics, Save America is identified as a leadership PAC, which they describe as "a separate pot of money" used by politicians "to help other politicians."

Leadership PACs are used to "gain clout among their colleagues and boost their bids for leadership," while also "[laying] the groundwork for their own campaigns for higher office."

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"The limits on how a politician can spend leadership PAC money are not especially strict," the group adds.

As Trump announced back in November that he is running for president again in 2024, he is currently considered a candidate, not a politician. It has raised questions from Justice Department officials about the use of the PAC money.

The murky water only adds to Donald Trump's growing mountain of legal woes, which may cause problems for his campaign efforts down the road.

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / MediaPunch

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