The former president’s legal expenses account for about 73 percent of the about $65.4 million in total disbursements Save America made in 2023.
Former President Donald Trump used more than $47 million in campaign funds to cover legal expenses in 2023, according to new disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission.
On Jan. 31, two groups associated with President Trump, Save America and Make America Great Again Inc., paid out more than 350 different transactions to more than 50 law firms, consultancies, and individuals for legal services and consulting.
In the first six months of the year, Save America paid about $25.7 million for various legal services. In the second six months, it paid $21.4 million.
Over the whole year, Make America Great Again Inc. paid out about $223,000.
MAGA Inc. is a super political action committee. It can solicit from and make unlimited contributions to individuals, corporations, labor unions, and other political committees, according to the FEC. It is unauthorized, meaning it cannot cooperate directly with the candidate.
Save America is a qualified leadership political action committee. That, according to the regulator, means it is “directly or indirectly established, financed, maintained or controlled by a candidate or an individual holding federal office, but is not an authorized committee of the candidate or officeholder and is not affiliated with an authorized committee of a candidate or officeholder.”
In its full-year filing with the FEC, Save America reported it raised about $52.3 million in total in 2023. Save America said that it had about $5.1 million in cash at the end of December 2023.
All told, legal expenses account for about 73 percent of the about $65.4 million in total disbursements Save America made in 2023.
MAGA Inc. is a key funder of Save America. In the second half of the year, according to its disclosure forms, it sent $35 million to Save America in what it called “contribution refunds.” In the first half of the year, it sent $12.25 million to Save America in similar transactions, according to its disclosure forms.
