Donald Trump’s political action committee spent $40.2 million on legal costs in the first half of 2023 to defend the former president, his advisers and others, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The political group, Save America, is set to disclose the figure in a filing on Monday, said the people, who asked not to be identified before the information is released.
The figure is substantial enough that the PAC has requested a refund on a $60 million contribution it made to another group supporting Trump, and signals a potential money crisis for the campaign, the New York Times reported late Saturday.
The disclosure is set to come as Trump, who’s leading polls for the 2024 Republican nomination, braces for yet another indictment, this time in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probe into the aftermath of the 2020 election and the attack on the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
He’s already been indicted in a federal case over his handling of classified documents and in New York state court where he faces charges over alleged hush money payments to an adult film star.
Trump was hit Thursday with new obstruction charges in the criminal case over classified documents, including allegations that he and two employees tried to delete surveillance footage at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
The campaign of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose standing in GOP primary polls has been dropping, criticized the spending. Communications director Andrew Romeo said the legal expenses wouldn’t help Republicans retake the White House.
“Trump has spent over $60 million on 2 things: falsely attacking DeSantis and paying his own legal fees, not a cent on defeating Biden,” Romeo posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Trump isn’t turning down anyone ensnared in his legal troubles seeking help, particularly those who can’t afford the expense, people close to him said.
(Updates with DeSantis campaign starting in seventh paragraph.)
