In the wake of escalating legal challenges, former President Donald Trump’s political fundraising committees have reportedly expended over $50 million on legal fees in 2023, significantly impacting their financial standing, as indicated by the latest campaign disclosures. The repercussions of these mounting legal bills have left Trump’s once robust leadership PAC, Save America, with a mere $5.1 million in the bank as the year 2024 commences.
This financial setback precedes a recent court order requiring Trump to pay writer E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in damages for defamation, an outcome he is currently appealing. Additionally, a New York judge is contemplating imposing fines of up to $370 million plus interest on Trump in a civil fraud trial.
As Trump’s legal battles intensified in the latter part of 2023, so did his legal expenditures. His political action committees reported a total of $34 million in legal spending during the second half of the year, compared to approximately $26 million in the first half.
Save America continued to shoulder a significant portion of Trump’s legal bills, spending nearly $26 million on legal fees and related expenses while only raising $6 million in the second half of 2023. The leadership PAC, which once boasted a $100 million war chest post-2020 election, entered 2024 with only $5.1 million in cash.
Trump’s former presidential campaign committee, Make America Great Again PAC, reported $4.1 million in legal spending during the latter half of 2023, while his current campaign committee reported roughly $3.8 million in legal bills.
Make America Great Again Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, refunded over $42 million to Save America last year as the latter’s cash on hand dwindled. Among Trump’s legal expenses, the civil fraud case’s legal team received $11 million through Save America PAC.
Trump’s joint fundraising committee, despite raising $75 million in the second half of 2023, spent nearly $28 million on fundraising and operational costs, leaving around $50 million to be distributed between the campaign committee and Save America PAC.
While Trump’s campaign reported $33 million in cash on hand by the end of 2023, surpassing the $14 million of his Republican rival Nikki Haley, the legal challenges have significantly impacted the financial landscape of his political entities as they navigate the complexities of ongoing legal battles.
