'An extraordinary sum of money': Questions raised about millions spent on legal fees for Trump and close aides

The tsunami of legal problems swamping Donald Trump has led to the PAC paying for his lawyers and lawyers representing a wide array of aides to shell out over $40 million in just the first half of the year with no end in sight.

That, in turn, had led to questions from investigators about the possible conflict of interest of the former president footing the legal expenses for potential witnesses to his alleged transgressions that are being scrutinized by the Department of Justice.

According to a report from the Washington Post, the latest tally is expected to be released on Tuesday for the just-ending quarter, and that it will show, "the [Save America] PAC’s post-presidential legal spending to about $56 million, as Trump faces a federal indictment in Florida, state charges in New York, and the prospect of additional criminal indictments in Washington and Fulton County, Ga."

The report notes that possible witnesses are being grilled about who is paying their legal fees and why, the Post is reporting while also noting, "The PAC’s own fundraising and creation is under investigation, The Post has reported, though the group has not been accused of wrongdoing. Much of the money it is usingto pay for legal bills was raised on false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

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Campaign finance expert Paul Seamus Ryan admitted there are no glaring "red flags" he can see so far, before stating, "It’s an extraordinary sum of money. At the end of the day it’s up to the donors to decide if that’s the way they want their money spent. My sense is if you’re giving money to Trump in 2023, you’re fine with it.”

Of greater concern are questions about how Trump's people decide whose bills they will pay.

"In the course of the investigation, people familiar with the matter said, prosecutors have obtained emails in which some of Trump’s aides discuss whether lawyers should be paid, as well as a spreadsheet that Trump’s lawyers kept in the post-presidency of who had been subpoenaed," the Post is reporting before adding, "In addition to asking what agreements led to legal representation for certain witnesses, investigators have also tried to ascertain if there were instances where Trump or people close to him debated whether to not pay a particular person’s legal bills, these people said."

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