• Donald Trump spent $52,431,858 on legal fees in 2023 using PAC funds, a Business Insider analysis found.
  • The vast majority — nearly $40 million — went to law firms working on his personal legal problems.
  • Trump spent this small fortune in donor money on his legal fees despite being a billionaire.

Former President Donald Trump has a lot of legal problems.

So do his company and three eldest children.

Often, political donors are footing the bill.

A Business Insider analysis has found that Trump supporters funded at least $52,431,858 in legal services in 2023 through two political action committees the GOP frontrunner controls.

Nearly $40 million of the $52.4 million in donor money was spent on law firms working on cases that had nothing to do with Trump’s candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, the analysis found.

The legions of MAGA faithful may not have been aware of this when they parted with their small-dollar donations last year, galvanized by Trump’s cries of “witch hunt” as he was indicted in a New York hush-money scheme in April and a Georgia election-interference case in August.

But significant portions of their donations went to law firms defending Trump in civil cases involving his real-estate empire and its top executives, including Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump.

  • rdyoung@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    There is only so much they can give. Eventually his core base (the ones more likely to be on gov assistance) will run out of money. Eventually the puppeteers pulling his strings will stop funding him.

    I’m not really a betting man but I would wager a decent sum that assuming the states and the feds keep up their investigations into the maggats, trump will be what takes that entire party down.

      • rdyoung@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Do you know anything about finances/economics? Eventually they will run out of money. I’d bet in aggregate trump gets more money from the real players than individuals. Politicians (on both sides) have used fake supporters to funnel money into their campaigns for a very long time.

    • jaybone@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Aren’t his PAC donors like corporations and Russian money launderers, not some yokels on government assistance?

      • LilDumpy@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Ya, for 50+ million. That’s not a bunch of grandparents donating $50. That amount is like other countries, corporations and the rich friends with their interests in mind. And if he’s cozy with Saudi or other rich countries, the pot might not necessarily have a bottom for all intents and purposes of this voting year.

        I mean, ya it’s also grandparents and stuff… but I cannot see that the vast majority of that money coming from them.

          • LilDumpy@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            Ya, that math checks out, but man, I really hope not. I tried looking super quick (at work rn) and I didn’t immediately see any reporting stating people gave their houses, etc. Although I did quickly read PAC and Super PAC rules and the PAC rules are pretty tight on capping donations, and the Super PAC rules state that all donors need to be reported. So I am sure someone can find out where it’s really coming from.