Trump spent $37M of donor money on legal fees – and that could be a big problem: report

While Donald Trump's fundraising machine hasn't slowed down, he's spending tens of millions of dollars on attorneys who are defending him in the various criminal cases he's facing – and that could cause him more legal woes.

The Associated Press pointed out Tuesday that campaign finance experts say that campaign money going towards his legal troubles, and not campaign-related expenditures, may violate a federal ban on the personal use of donor money – "even though the Federal Election Commission has ruled the prohibition doesn’t apply to so-called leadership political action committees."

"Trump’s Save America political action committee has paid nearly $37 million to more than 60 law firms and individual attorneys since January 2022, Federal Election Commission records show," the AP's report stated. That amounts to more than half of the PAC’s total expenditures, according to an Associated Press analysis of campaign finance filings, and represents a staggering sum compared to other political organizations.

While most of Trump's PAC money went to law firms that defended him in his cases, the rest went to lawyers who represented his businesses, family, and other associates, which also raises legal questions.

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“The way these cases get built is you persuade the little fish to testify against the big fish,” former federal prosecutor and criminal law professor Randall Eliason told the AP. “Well, if the little fish’s lawyer is being paid by the big fish, that’s less likely to happen potentially.”

Some donors who spoke to the AP don't have a problem with Trump using their money for legal expenses.

Stetson University College of Law professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy says paying defense attorneys with contributions could come back to haunt Trump.

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"After the Mar-a-Lago and January 6th cases are done, I would not be surprised to see a personal use case against Trump for using these millions in donations that are meant to go to his political campaign going instead for the personal use of keeping him out of prison,” Torres-Spelliscy said.

Read the full report over at the Associated Press.