by Madeleine Hubbard
Former President Donald Trump’s political actions committees paid more than $50 million in legal bills last year, according to his latest campaign finance disclosures.
Trump faces two federal criminal trials, two state criminal trials and multiple civil trials ahead of the 2024 election, which may force his legal costs to be even higher this year. Trump has said he is not liable nor responsible for any wrongdoing. Although most of Trump’s trials lay ahead, he did go to court several times in 2023 to enter pleadings, among other things.
Some of the legal bills likely deal with the first lawsuit brought by author E. Jean Carroll last year, which found Trump liable for battery and defamation. He was ordered to pay her $5 million.
The 2023 legal bills came before the court ordered Trump to pay Carroll more than $83 million in damages for defamation this year, although he did make several motions last year related to the lawsuit that are likely being considered in the legal spending calculations.
Additionally, Trump spent several weeks in court last year for New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James’ $370 million civil fraud case, but the judge is reportedly not expected to issue a decision until next week.
Trump’s major PACs spent more than $56.1 million in legal bills overall last year, data shows. Trump’s Save America PAC covered the vast majority of his legal bills, paying nearly $47.3 million for it last year and ending 2023 with $5.1 in cash on hand, according to new Federal Election Commission filings.
However, Trump is still the top-raising candidate in the 2024 election, bringing in more than $60.5 million so far, compared to President Joe Biden’s $56.7 million, per FEC data.
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Madeleine Hubbard joined Just the News as a fast file reporter after working as an editor at Breitbart News.
