Trump's legal fees are sky-high. An elaborate PAC scheme is helping pay them -- for now

"The enormous legal bills have caused Trump to fall behind in 2024 campaign fundraising, both in his own funds and the funds of the Republican National Committee, which is now under pressure to help Trump out of his legal jeopardy.Republican consultant Alex Conant said money matters less in presidential politics than it used to."

"While public records can't say what, specifically, law firms are being paid to do, records show Save America has paid more than 70 different lawyers and law firms, and many are listed on court paperwork representing Trump in his civil and criminal cases."

"It's more money than MAGA Inc. has spent on independent expenditures, such as advertisements for Trump and against opponents like South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, since it started in 2022."

"The numbers show that Biden's campaign is sitting on $37.5 million more cash than Trump's, meaning that if the former president hadn't spent more than $64 million on legal bills, and had instead put the money in his campaign account, he would have more money in the bank than the current president."

"But Trump has more recently used his legal issues to ask his supporters for money, with the money going to a fundraising vehicle that currently pours into his 2024 campaign and Save America."

"Lara Trump says Republicans are willing to pay Donald Trump's legal billsGoing forward, Trump will need a new fundraising scheme to pay his legal bills."

"Trump and the RNC:"

"The Jan. 6 Committee dinged Trump for fundraising for an "Official Election Defense Fund" in the days after the 2020 election, when the fund didn't exist and instead went to Save America."

"Since Wednesday, Trump's main fundraising arm has sent messages to supporters saying, "Democrats want to seize my properties," referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James' ability to seize his personal assets if he fails to pay the $454 million judgment in the Trump Organization case.To stave off collection while he appeals that verdict, Trump is required to put up the $454 million or a bond for it by Monday, which his lawyers described as a "practical impossibility.""

"Since Wednesday, Trump's main fundraising arm has sent messages to supporters saying, "Democrats want to seize my properties," referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James' ability to seize his personal assets if he fails to pay the $454 million judgment in the Trump Organization case.To stave off collection while he appeals that verdict, Trump is required to put up the $454 million or a bond for it by Monday, which his lawyers described as a "practical impossibility.""

"After his March indictment, Trump's fundraising arm sent out a photoshopped fake mugshot in an email seeking donations."

This is a negative sentiment.

"But the election likely will be decided by a small number of votes, so a significant spending advantage could make a difference and Trump's legal issues are a "distraction and a drain on resources," he added.nn"

This is a negative sentiment.

"The enormous legal bills have caused Trump to fall behind in 2024 campaign fundraising, both in his own funds and the funds of the Republican National Committee, which is now under pressure to help Trump out of his legal jeopardy.nnRepublican consultant Alex Conant said money matters less in presidential politics than it used to."

This is a negative sentiment.

"It's more money than MAGA Inc. has spent on independent expenditures, such as advertisements for Trump and against opponents like South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, since it started in 2022."

This is a negative sentiment.

"It's more money than MAGA Inc. has spent on independent expenditures, such as advertisements for Trump and against opponents like South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, since it started in 2022."

This is a negative sentiment.

"The transfers have kept the fund, Save America, afloat as it bled tens of millions of dollars on legal bills in the year since a New York grand jury indicted former President Donald Trump, the first in a wave of criminal indictments and civil judgments against him.nn"

This is a negative sentiment.

"Save America, started days after Trump lost the 2020 election, is a type of fund called a "leadership PAC" that can only accept $5,000 per election cycle from each donor, but has few restrictions on how it spends money."

This is a negative sentiment.

"While public records can't say what, specifically, law firms are being paid to do, records show Save America has paid more than 70 different lawyers and law firms, and many are listed on court paperwork representing Trump in his civil and criminal cases."

This is a negative sentiment.

""I think both sides are going to have a lot of money, but if Trump has to divert a lot of his resources to his legal problems that's money that's not going to be spent on getting out the vote," said Conant, who worked on U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's presidential campaign in 2016.nn"

This is a negative sentiment.

""I think both sides are going to have a lot of money, but if Trump has to divert a lot of his resources to his legal problems that's money that's not going to be spent on getting out the vote," said Conant, who worked on U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's presidential campaign in 2016.nn"

This is a negative sentiment.

"Trump's campaign did not announce joint fundraising committee numbers.nn"

This is a negative sentiment.

"Lara Trump says Republicans are willing to pay Donald Trump's legal billsnnGoing forward, Trump will need a new fundraising scheme to pay his legal bills."

This is a negative sentiment.

"Biden's campaign announced this week that it raised $53 million through its various committees and the Democratic National Committee in February and had $155 million in available cash."

This is a positive sentiment.

"President Joe Biden's campaign raised $21.3 million in February and spent $6.3 million, increasing its cash from $56 million at the end of January to $71 million at the end of February."

This is a positive sentiment.

"In the past, Save America's highest spending involved audio-visual expenses for Trump's public appearances, and donations to other groups, including MAGA Inc."

This is a positive sentiment.

"But Trump has more recently used his legal issues to ask his supporters for money, with the money going to a fundraising vehicle that currently pours into his 2024 campaign and Save America."

This is a negative sentiment.

"The Democratic National Committee, which is helping re-elect Biden, also continues to outpace the Republican National Committee, where Trump loyalists have taken hold."

This is a negative sentiment.

"In the same time period, Trump's campaign collected $10.9 million and spent $7.8 million, increasing its cash from $30.5 million in January to $33.5 million."

This is a positive sentiment.

"Trump and the RNC:"

This is a positive sentiment.

"Trump led Biden by two percentage points in a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll March 13 poll.nn"

This is a negative sentiment.

"Trump led Biden by two percentage points in a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll March 13 poll.nn"

This is a negative sentiment.

"It will divvy what it raises it among the Trump campaign, Save America, the Republican National Committee, a PAC called the Presidential Republican Nominee Fund 2024 and Republican committees in 37 states, Guam and the District of Columbia.nn"

This is a negative sentiment.

"The Jan. 6 Committee dinged Trump for fundraising for an "Official Election Defense Fund" in the days after the 2020 election, when the fund didn't exist and instead went to Save America."

This is a negative sentiment.

"The numbers show that Biden's campaign is sitting on $37.5 million more cash than Trump's, meaning that if the former president hadn't spent more than $64 million on legal bills, and had instead put the money in his campaign account, he would have more money in the bank than the current president.nn"

This is a positive sentiment.

"The numbers show that Biden's campaign is sitting on $37.5 million more cash than Trump's, meaning that if the former president hadn't spent more than $64 million on legal bills, and had instead put the money in his campaign account, he would have more money in the bank than the current president.nn"

This is a positive sentiment.

"Since Wednesday, Trump's main fundraising arm has sent messages to supporters saying, "Democrats want to seize my properties," referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James' ability to seize his personal assets if he fails to pay the $454 million judgment in the Trump Organization case.To stave off collection while he appeals that verdict, Trump is required to put up the $454 million or a bond for it by Monday, which his lawyers described as a "practical impossibility.""

This is a positive sentiment.