Trump's legal team launches new fund to cover legal fees for former president's aides
Save America invested $40 million in legal bills and The Patriot Legal Defense Fund will cover the costs of witnesses and workers who have been charged in cases against the tycoon.
After learning that the super Save America PAC paid more than $40 million to cover the defense costs of Donald Trump and people close to him in the first half of 2023, the former president's legal team is preparing to set up a fund to pay the legal costs of allies of the magnate. Throughout Monday, the super PAC's filing is expected to be made public and will detail the legal fees Trump has faced as a result of the allegations against him.
"Protecting innocent people from ruin"
Steve Cheung, Trump's campaign spokesman, explained to The Washington Post that Save America is meeting the legal expenses of both witnesses and defendants along with the former president "for the purpose of protecting these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed." In his remarks, Cheung pointed to the DOJ's "harassment" of the tycoon and those who work for him.
As The New York Times explains, Save America was created to house the $100 million Trump raised after his 2020 presidential defeat for his voters to help him combat the "massive fraud" that had occurred. This money cannot be used for the 2024 campaign, but it has been used to cover the legal expenses of Trump and the people affected, both witnesses and defendants.
An old acquaintance of Trump at the head of the new fund
The creation of the new fund will serve to alleviate the financial pressure on the former president's Super PAC. According to ABC News, the person in charge of the management will be Michael Glassner, a man of full confidence of the tycoon and who has already served in relevant positions in Trump's 2016 and 2020 campaigns. According to this media outlet, the name of the fund will be the Patriot Legal Defense Fund Inc.
According to early indications, the money in this fund will be used exclusively to defray the legal costs of the former president's collaborators, but not to directly meet Trump's bills.