Former President Trump’s fundraising committees spent nearly $30 million on legal expenses in the second half of 2023, a stunning figure that reflects the financial burden on his political operation as he faces many court fights.
According to federal election filings released on Wednesday, Trump’s political groups spent almost $29 million on legal costs and consulting in the last six months of 2018. The funds were distributed among several political action committees.
According to documents, Save America, Trump’s joint fundraising committee with his campaign, spent almost $25 million on legal fees, while Make America Great Again PAC spent over $4 million.
Trump’s committees spent approximately $21 million on legal expenses in the first half of 2023, putting his total expenditure in that area to almost $50 million for the year.
According to Politico, Trump’s groups spent almost $210 million in 2023 and raised slightly less than $200 million.
Aside from Trump’s fundraising groups, the campaign said on Wednesday that it raised $19 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and had $33 million in cash at the end of the year. The amount considerably exceeds his only remaining Republican rival, Nikki Haley.
However, legal fees are expected to continue until 2024, despite the fact that Trump appears to be on track to win the Republican nominee. Trump is charged with 91 felony counts in four distinct cases in New York City, Washington, D.C., Georgia, and Florida.
Trump plans to appeal a jury decision to pay $83 million to writer E. Jean Carroll in a slander lawsuit.
Meanwhile, the Biden team has amassed a sizable war chest to face Trump in a potential November rerun of the 2020 presidential election.
The Biden campaign began 2024 with $117 million on hand, having raised more than $97 million in the fourth quarter of 2023.
In a statement to The Hill, Biden campaign spokesperson TJ Ducklo stated, “Team Biden Harris, powered by grassroots donors, is hard at work talking to voters and building the campaign infrastructure to win in November.”