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“Can’t afford a $200K bond?”: Lawyers question why “billionaire” Trump needed help of bail bondsman

Trump is working with a local Georgia bonding company to foot the bill for his $200,000 bail

Staff Reporter

Published

Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to surrender at Fulton County Jail on August 24, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to surrender at Fulton County Jail on August 24, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump is working with a local Georgia bonding company to foot the bill for his $200,000 bail, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The CEO of the Lawrenceville, Ga.-based Foster Bail Bonds LLC, Charles Shaw, confirmed to the outlet Thursday evening that the company would be posting Trump’s bond but did not confirm the former president’s fee, which CNN reported would be 10 percent, citing anonymous sources.

“Somewhat surprising because it means a $30,000 non-refundable payment to the bond company,” Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Other legal experts also questioned Trump’s decision to enlist the help of the company online Thursday evening. “Why does a billionaire need the help of a bonding company?” national security lawyer Bradley Moss asked. “A man who owns resorts and a private plane can’t afford a $200,000 bond?” he added

Conservative lawyer George Conway found the move “really puzzling.” He tweeted, “If you have the cash, it seems a waste of money to use a bail bondsman. The only reason I could think of is that he didn’t want to use his own money, and instead chose to have his PAC take the hit for the bonding fee. Don’t know if that makes sense, but who knows?”

By Tatyana Tandanpolie

Tatyana Tandanpolie is a staff reporter at Salon. Born and raised in central Ohio, she moved to New York City in 2018 to pursue degrees in Journalism and Africana Studies at New York University. She is currently based in her home state and has previously written for local Columbus publications, including Columbus Monthly, CityScene Magazine and The Columbus Dispatch.


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