Former President Donald Trump has paid his lawyers nearly $50 million since March 2023 as he approaches the one-year mark since his first criminal indictment, according to filings from his PAC Save America. The ex-president has controversially relied on donors to fund his personal legal battles, leading to escalating costs. Trump’s leadership PAC, Save America, has spent $76.5 million from March 30, 2023, through the end of February, with approximately $47.4 million specifically allocated to legal consulting, attorney payroll, and other legal-related services.
Comparatively, between November 2020 and March 29, 2023, Save America spent $25.2 million on legal consulting. Trump’s largest legal payments went to Christopher Kise, his attorney in a civil fraud case and the criminal case for retaining White House documents. Save America paid Chris Kise & Associates $3.9 million and Continental PLLC, a law firm employing Kise and other attorneys representing Trump, $4.3 million. Other attorneys representing Trump in his criminal cases were also paid by Save America PAC, including attorneys at Blanche Law, John Lauro, Steven Sadow, and Susan Necheles.
Trump attorney Alina Habba’s firm, Habba Madaio & Associates, which represents Trump in several cases, was paid $4 million, with Trump still owing the firm $534,361. Robert & Robert PLLC, which represented Trump and his sons in a fraud case, earned the second-highest amount of Trump’s lawyers at $7.1 million. Save America’s legal-related fees also included payments to an accounting professor who appeared as an expert witness and a vendor holding Rudy Giuliani’s electronic records.
Save America had approximately $4 million in cash at the beginning of March. However, Trump’s legal costs are expected to continue rising as he faces criminal trials in potentially all four of the cases against him. These trials include charges of overturning the 2020 election, retaining classified White House documents, hush-money payments made during his 2016 campaign, and post-2020 election efforts. Trump has already faced a civil trial and challenges to his eligibility for the 2024 election ballot. The timing of the trials and the number of cases tried before the election remain unclear, with the hush money trial likely to begin in mid-April.
Save America PAC has raised $62.3 million since the start of 2023, with donations primarily coming from small-money donors and transfers from Trump’s Make America Great Again PAC and his campaign. The PAC received a $5 million refund from Trump’s campaign in February. It is unclear where a $1 million donation from hotel magnate Robert Bigelow for Trump’s legal fees is directed, given limits on PAC donations. Campaign finance experts have raised concerns about the legality of using PAC money for personal legal fees.
In addition to his legal expenses, Trump also faces significant financial obligations in his civil cases. A jury ordered him to pay $83.3 million to E. Jean Carroll for defamation, and he must post a $91.6 million bond within days. Trump’s net worth is estimated at $2.6 billion, with $413 million in liquid assets. It remains to be seen how Trump will pay the damages award and his civil fraud case judgment.
The legality of Trump’s PAC spending on personal legal fees resides in a “gray area,” according to campaign finance experts. Although campaign money cannot be spent on personal expenses, the FEC has exempted leadership PACs like Save America. However, legal experts suggest that paying Trump’s legal fees could still be seen as an illegal contribution to his campaign. Enforcement of campaign finance laws has been inconsistent, leaving room for interpretation. Trump’s lawyers have asked for a pause on the civil fraud case judgment while he appeals and attempts to raise funds.
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