The Democratic National Committee has paid law firms that represented Joe Biden in the special counsel probe into his handling of classified documents, federal records show. The DNC has paid over $1 million to Bob Bauer, Biden’s personal attorney, and nearly $905,000 to the firm Hemenway & Barnes, which represented Biden in the probe. These payments do not compare to the tens of millions of dollars Trump’s political operation has directed to his legal bills. The DNC claims they do not use grassroots donors’ money on legal bills, unlike Trump, who solicits legal fees from his supporters.
Bob Bauer and Jennifer Miller from Hemenway & Barnes, Biden’s legal representatives, have not responded to inquiries regarding their work for the DNC. The special counsel concluded that Biden had retained classified information willfully but did not pursue criminal charges against him. The Biden campaign has criticized Trump for using donor money to pay his legal fees, calling his campaign a “cash-strapped operation” relying on limited and billionaire-funded funds. Trump has referred to the criminal and civil cases against him as a political “witch hunt” and has urged his backers to financially support him.
Trump’s campaign has directed 10% of contributions to a leadership PAC, Save America, which has helped with his legal expenses. Save America has spent over $72.5 million on legal fees since January 2021. The RNC paid law firms representing Trump in various investigations before ending the practice in late 2022 once he officially became a presidential candidate again. Trump faces 88 criminal charges in four separate indictments and has pleaded not guilty in all cases. The joint fundraising agreement between the Trump campaign and the RNC continues to prioritize donations to Save America to help with Trump’s legal fees.
Wealthy donors contributing to the joint fundraising committee will continue to support Trump’s legal expenses. The Trump campaign and RNC receive the majority of funds raised, with less than 1% of an individual donor’s maximum contribution benefiting Save America. Despite criticisms, Trump’s aides have defended the arrangement, stating that the vast majority of funds go to the campaign and RNC. Trump exerts control over the RNC as the presumptive nominee, but the Trump campaign insists that the national party will not shoulder his legal expenses moving forward. Overall, Trump’s legal fees continue to be a significant focus of fundraising efforts and political spending.
