Former President Donald Trump's political action committee, Save America, has reportedly spent over $40 million on legal fees since the beginning of the year. This figure is more than double the $16 million spent on legal fees in 2022, and the PAC is expected to disclose about $40.2 million in legal spending to the Federal Election Commission on Monday.
The PAC, which primarily raises funds through small-dollar donations, has been under scrutiny from prosecutors regarding potential conflicts of interest between the former president and witnesses. Trump, who is the 2024 GOP frontrunner, faces a myriad of federal charges in Florida over the retention of sensitive documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. He also faces charges in New York state following an investigation into hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
In addition to these charges, Trump faces the prospect of criminal indictments in Washington and Fulton County, Georgia, in connection with alleged election interference. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has labeled the investigations as a "witch hunt."
Trump's team argues that the sum spent on defending the former president and members of his inner circle is necessary as his legal troubles escalate. Campaign spokesman Steven Cheung stated that the PAC contributed to their legal fees to protect them from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed due to what he described as "unlawful harassment" from investigators.
Campaign finance expert Paul Seamus Ryan noted that while there are no apparent "legal red flags" with the spending, the "extraordinary sum of money" is far more than any other 2024 candidate would be spending at this time. He added that it's ultimately up to the donors to decide if they're comfortable with their money being spent in this way.
In related news, The New York Times reported that the PAC has sought the return of $60 million it made to another group supporting Trump due to the staggering legal costs. The amount refunded remains unclear.
Trump recently denied directing a staffer to delete security footage at Mar-a-Lago after Special Counsel Jack Smith lodged three additional charges against him. The former president, who pleaded not guilty to a 37-count related indictment last month, was slapped with an additional charge from Smith last week for two counts of obstruction and one count of willful retention of national defense information over other documents at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf resort. He is expected to stand trial in the classified-document case in May 2024.