Trump reportedly is paying legal bills in special counsel probe with campaign and RNC funds
President Donald Trump/Shutterstock.com.
President Donald Trump is reportedly paying his legal bills in the special counsel probe of Russian influence with donations to his re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee.
Reuters reported on Trump’s use of the funds in a story based on two anonymous sources.
Private campaign funds can be used to pay legal bills, but typically the money covers routine matters such as ballot access disputes, according to Reuters. No other president in the era of modern campaign finance has used such funds for a criminal probe, election law experts told the wire service.
When contacted by Reuters, Trump’s lead lawyer, John Dowd, refused to confirm that donated funds were being used.
“That’s none of your business,” he said.
Trump is able to use campaign funds because he did not accept public financing for the campaign. He filed for re-election when he took office, “ensuring a fund of millions in campaign cash would remain at his disposal,” the article reports. The campaign had $12 million in funds at the end of June.
According to Reuters, the RNC is expected to make its August spending public on Wednesday and the Trump campaign is due for another disclosure on Oct. 15.
