Donald Trump's leadership PAC, Save America, disclosed disbursing over $2.9 million to law firms last month, according to a filing with federal regulators Tuesday night.
The frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination confronts a formidable challenge with 91 criminal indictments across four jurisdictions and substantial legal penalties from civil cases, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. Undeterred, Trump remains steadfast in his decision to appeal, dismissing the legal cases as part of a vast "political witch hunt."
The PAC also accumulated an additional $1.9 million in unpaid legal bills by the end of January. The largest payment, surpassing $583,000, was directed to John Lauro's law firm, representing the former president in the federal election subversion case led by special counsel Jack Smith.
"Save America" refers to the political action committee (PAC) associated with the former president. PACs are organizations that raise and spend money to support political candidates, parties, or causes. "Save America" was established by Trump after the 2020 presidential election, and it has played a significant role in financing Trump's political activities and legal endeavors.
In 2023 alone, the PAC allocated over $55 million toward legal bills, constituting nearly 85% of its expenditures, CNN reported.
On Tuesday, Trump drew a parallel between his legal troubles and the persecution of the late Russian opposition leader, Alexey Navalny, who recently died in a Russian prison. Labeling the ongoing legal cases as baseless, Trump emphasized his belief in a politically motivated agenda.
On a separate legal front, New York Attorney General Letitia James signaled her readiness to take action if the former president fails to pay the penalty imposed in the state's civil fraud case, Reuters reported.
"If he does not have funds to pay off the judgment, then we will seek judgment enforcement mechanisms in court, and we will ask the judge to seize his assets," James stated.
Zooming out to the broader context, New York Judge Arthur Engoron recently ordered Trump, his companies, and co-defendants to collectively pay nearly $364 million in the civil fraud trial related to his business practices.
Of this penalty, Trump and his organizations are accountable for $354,868,768. Despite these legal setbacks, Trump continues to deny any wrongdoing and expresses his intent to appeal the recent ruling.
