Trump PACs Paid $4.2 Million in Legal Fees in March

Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears ahead of the start of jury selection at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on April 15, 2024. Jeenah Moon-Pool/Getty Images

The Trump campaign’s legal bill for 2024 now totals more than $16.1 million.

On April 20, three groups associated with the Trump campaign filed federal disclosures showing they collectively spent about $4.2 million in March to pay various legal expenses connected to former president Donald Trump. On April 15, two more groups linked to President Trump revealed they spent another $1.8 million on legal fees in the first quarter of the year.

President Trump is dealing with multiple charges in jurisdictions across the country. He’s repeatedly called the suits and trials politically motivated and a form of election interference.

Save America

The biggest legal spender is President Trump’s leadership political action committee Save America. Its monthly Federal Election Commission filings covering March said it paid about $3.7 million to various law firms for legal consulting and reimbursement of legal fees during the month.

Save America, according to the FEC, continues to get most of its money from another Trump-affiliated account: Make America Great Again Inc.

MAGA Inc., a super PAC, sent $5 million to Save America for the third straight month, according to its April 20 FEC filing. The transaction was marked as a “refund of federal contribution.”

Save America, according to its April 20 filing, spent about $5 million and took in about $5 million in contributions in March. The PAC had about $4.1 million in cash on hand at the end of the March. Additionally, it owed about $886,000 in unpaid legal fees.

The leadership PAC also sent $780,000 to the Make America Great Again PAC in March.

MAGA PAC

Over the first three months of the year, MAGA PAC paid about $1.8 million to a number of firms for legal services.

According to its April 15 disclosure, the PAC was almost entirely funded by Save America. Save America sent MAGA PAC about $1.7 million in the first quarter of the year.

MAGA PAC spent about $2.3 million between January and March. It ended the quarter with about $43,000 on hand.

Attendees leave after a rally for former President Donald Trump was postponed at the Aero Center Wilmington in Wilmington, N.C., on April 20, 2024. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Other Committees

Two other committees paid legal expenses in March. Another paid additional legal costs in the first quarter.

Donald J. Trump For President 2024 Inc., the former president’s principal campaign committee, paid about $473,000 in legal expenses in March, according to its April 20 FEC filing.

Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee—a joint venture between Donald J. Trump For President and Save America—paid about $37,000 in legal fees over the first three months of 2024, according to its April 15 FEC filing.

MAGA Inc. covered about $21,000 in legal costs in March, according to its April 20 FEC filing.

Legal Drama Continues

On April 19, a week-long process of jury selection ended with the New York court selecting 12 jurors and six alternates for the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against President Trump. Opening arguments in the so-called hush money trial about a non-disclosure payment are expected to take place starting April 22.

The former president is still dealing with the fallout from the federal E. Jean Carroll defamation trial and a New York business practices trial. The former resulted in $83.3 million in damages that President Trump was ordered to pay, and the latter led to a $454 million civil judgment against him. President Trump’s legal team is appealing both decisions.

On April 19, President Trump told reporters the current case would keep him off the campaign trail temporarily. While President Joe Biden, the likely Democratic Party candidate, and his entourage are visiting the so-called battleground states of presidential politics, President Trump is sitting in a courtroom.

President Trump, the presumptive Republican Party nominee, is expected to be in court for the next six weeks as the current New York case is tried. Inclement weather scuttled a planned rally in North Carolina on April 20.