AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
Despite earlier denials by Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley and co-chair Lara Trump, the organization will foot some of Donald Trump’s legal bills, according to an Associated Press report on Thursday.
The campaign of the former president, who is the father-in-law of Lara Trump, struck an agreement with the RNC that will direct donations to his campaign and his Save America political action committee that has been paying Trump’s legal bills. Last year, his campaign reportedly spent $50 million of donor money on his legal expenses alone.
The AP reported:
The unorthodox diversion of funds to the Save America PAC makes it more likely that Republican donors could see their money go to Trump’s lawyers, who have received at least $76 million over the last two years to defend him against four felony indictments and multiple civil cases. Some Republicans are already troubled that Trump’s takeover of the RNC could shortchange the cash-strapped party.
According to the AP, legal spending made up a whopping 85% of Save America PAC’s operating expenses in the first two months of 2024.
When asked this month if the RNC would direct money to help pay Trump’s lawyers, Whatley told Fox News, “Look, the president’s campaign has made it perfectly clear that they are not going to ask for any of those legal funds to be coming out of the RNC. So, that’s a done deal.”
Similarly, Lara Trump told Fox News, “We’re not paying any legal bills from the RNC.”
Before being elected co-chair Lara Trump said on Newsmax in February, “Every single penny will go to the number one and the only job of the RNC: that is electing Donald J. Trump as president of the United States and saving this country.”
Just days after assuming her new role, Lara Trump initiated a “bloodbath” at the committee, which let go of more than 60 staffers.
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