Former 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. Donald Trump’s political operation entered the second half of the year in a strained financial position with its bank account drained by tens of millions of dollars that were directed toward defending the former president from mounting legal challenges as he seeks the White House again.
"I’ve never seen anything like it," said Paul S. Ryan, a longtime campaign finance attorney in Washington, referring to the sum Trump's operation spent on legal fees this year. "There’s no legal issue. It’s really just a question for his donors: Do they want to be funding lawyers?" The group was financed with $80 million left over from DeSantis' successful 2022 gubernatorial reelection campaign. Most of the other cash was raised from several dozen corporations and donors, who gave over $100,000, including Robert Bigelow, a Las Vegas-based businessman, who gave Never Back Down $20 million, records show.
Smith is the special counsel leading the federal investigations of Trump. His team has expressed interest in the payment of legal fees for Trump-aligned witnesses in the investigations and has sought information about it, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss ongoing criminal probes.
But the $170 million that the effort raised in less than a month was not used to contest the election, records show. Instead, it was used to pay down campaign debt and replenish the coffers of the Republican National Committee, with Trump also stockpiling another large chunk for his future political endeavors. Last year, the Justice Department issued a round of grand jury subpoenas that sought information about the political action committee’s fundraising practices.
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