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After spending a reported $40M in donations on legal fees, Trump requests $60M refund to pay more

The Save America Federal Election Commission filing expected on Monday will shed more light on Trump's financials

Senior Culture Editor

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Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a political rally while campaigning for the GOP nomination in the 2024 election at Erie Insurance Arena on July 29, 2023 in Erie, Pennsylvania. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a political rally while campaigning for the GOP nomination in the 2024 election at Erie Insurance Arena on July 29, 2023 in Erie, Pennsylvania. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

In recent reports from The Washington Post and The New York Times, Save America, the political action committee that Donald Trump has been using to pay his own legal fees, and those of his underlings roped into his mess, has requested a refund of $60M paid to “another group supporting the Republican front-runner,” after shelling out an alleged $40M on fees already. This suggests a mounting financial issue that we’ll get a better look at on Monday with the release of an expected Save America Federal Election Commission filing.

Per The New York Times, “Save America began 2023 with just $18 million in cash on hand, which is less than half of what was spent on legal bills this year.” They further that, “campaign finance experts are divided on whether Trump is even able to continue to use the PAC to pay for his personal legal bills, as he became a candidate last November.” With some calling Trump’s use of campaign donations in this way “a grift,” others see the money as well spent. “The ‘Trump paid $40m in legal fees’ attack is so lame,” said Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance in a Tweet on Saturday. “I have good friends who did nothing wrong who had their legal fees paid by Save America PAC. Would you rather they throw all of their employees under a bus?”

 

By Kelly McClure

Kelly McClure is Salon's Senior Culture Editor, where she helps further coverage of TV, film, music, books and culture trends from a unique and thoughtful angle. Her work has also appeared in Vulture, Vanity Fair, Vice and many other outlets that don't start with the letter V. She is the author of one sad book called "Something Is Always Happening Somewhere." Follow her on Bluesky: @WolfieVibes

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