Trump spent more than $50M of his PAC and super PAC money on legal bills in 2023

Amid mounting court docket battles, former President Donald Trump’s authorized charges value his political fundraising committees greater than $50 million in 2023, leaving his management PAC that when boasted a $100 million struggle chest with simply $5.1 million within the financial institution coming into 2024.

And people 2023 authorized payments got here earlier than Trump final week was ordered to pay author E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in damages for defaming her in 2019. Trump is interesting each the jury verdict of defamation and the following penalties imposed by a second jury.

In a separate case, a New York Choose can also be weighing whether or not to effective Trump as a lot as $370 million plus curiosity within the former president’s civil fraud trial.

As Trump’s authorized battles ramped up within the second half of final yr, so did his authorized spending — together with his political motion committees reporting a complete of $34 million in authorized expenditures within the second half of final yr in comparison with roughly $26 million within the first half, in response to the previous president’s newest marketing campaign disclosures.

Trump’s management PAC, Save America, continued to foot a lot of Trump’s authorized payments within the second half of final yr, spending almost $26 million on authorized charges and different associated bills, whereas solely elevating $6 million.

Coming into 2024, Save America — which, at one level following the 2020 election boasted a $100 million struggle chest — had solely $5.1 million in money available, filings confirmed.

The Make America Nice Once more PAC, Trump’s former presidential marketing campaign committee, reported $4.1 million in authorized spending within the second half of 2023. Trump’s present presidential marketing campaign committee reported roughly $3.8 million in authorized payments.

In keeping with filings, Make America Nice Once more Inc. — a brilliant PAC supporting Trump this cycle that had acquired $60 million in contributions from Save America in 2022 when Save America was sitting on a large struggle chest — refunded greater than $42 million again to Save America final yr because the management PAC’s money available acquired depleted.

Amongst Trump’s authorized payments, he paid the authorized workforce dealing with his civil fraud case $11 million by means of his Save America PAC within the second half of final yr.

The legislation agency of Clifford Robert, which represents Trump’s sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., acquired $3.9 million from Save America. The management PAC paid Trump lawyer Chris Kise, who represents Trump in his civil fraud trial and is a part of the authorized workforce in his federal labeled paperwork case, $2.3 million by means of his agency Chris Kise & Associates, and $2.6 million by means of his agency Continental PLLC.

Alina Habba, Trump’s authorized spokesperson who represents a number of former Trump Group executives within the civil fraud case and is Trump’s lead counsel in his defamation case, acquired $2.3 million by means of her agency.

Forward of his prison trials, Trump spent $2.5 million on his prison protection lawyer in his federal election interference case, John Lauro; $1.5 million on his prison protection lawyer in his Georgia election interference case, Steven Sadow; and $2 million on his prison protection lawyer Todd Blanche.

In the meantime, Trump’s joint fundraising committee, which splits its contributions between Trump’s presidential marketing campaign and Save America in a 90/10 ratio, reported elevating a wholesome $75 million within the second half of final yr, its submitting reveals.

However the committee spent almost $28 million of that on fundraising, marketing campaign merchandise and different working expenditures, leaving just below $50 million to be transferred to the marketing campaign committee and Save America PAC.

Trump’s marketing campaign committee reported bringing in $19 million within the ultimate three months of 2023, down from his $25 million haul within the earlier quarter however nonetheless greater than the $17 million his Republican challenger Nikki Haley’s marketing campaign committee introduced in throughout the identical interval.

Coming into 2024, the Trump marketing campaign had greater than double what Haley’s marketing campaign had within the financial institution, with the Trump marketing campaign reporting $33 million in money available by the tip of 2023 in comparison with the Haley marketing campaign’s $14 million.

And regardless of the pro-Trump tremendous PAC Make America Nice Once more Inc. refunding greater than $40 million of its Save America contributions, it sat on a a lot greater struggle chest going into 2024 in comparison with that of pro-Haley tremendous PAC SFA Fund Inc., with the 2 teams reporting $23 million and $3.5 million in money available, respectively.